Silver Moon
by Mailrebel
Summary: A Gintoki x Tsukuyo story. It will have several different books/story arcs focusing on their relationship.
1. Book 1 - Chapter 1

Silver Moon – Book 1 Chapter 1

It was a bright, warm morning in May. The sun was nearly center in the sky, shining down on the citizens of the city below it. Everyone was walking around the streets, enjoying the nice springtime weather.

The name of the city is Yoshiwara. It used to be a city that was only held in darkness, known as being an "eternal night". The city is now completely open to the sky, allowing all of its citizens to enjoy wonderful days such as this one.

Three of the people in this city were currently all walking together, each of them holding something in their hands.

"What a beautiful day it is today," noted the glasses-wearing boy known as Shinpachi.

"It is for you," said the girl known as Kagura. "This sunlight is deadly to a Yato like me," she said, holding her umbrella up high to prevent the rays from hitting her delicate skin.

"I thought we already told you that the author forgot about that detail a long time ago," said the silver-haired samurai known as Gintoki. "Besides, we won't be able to enjoy this weather seeing as we have to be inside entertaining a customer all day," he said with a frown.

Shinpachi looked at him with a frown. "Come on Gin-san, don't make it sound like this is torture. It's just a birthday party for a friend."

"Yeah, a birthday party that we have to set up and organize," he replied. "Plus, we had to go out and buy gifts for the brat. I'd much rather spend the money at the pachinko parlor," he complained.

"Hinowa said she would pay us for helping set up and that Seita would love to see us at his party," Shinpachi explained. "They must really think of us as good friends. We should be happy to come and spend time with them."

"And eat plenty of cake," added Kagura.

"Well, as long as were getting paid," said Gintoki.

The trio continued on to Hinowa's house in order to celebrate Seita's birthday. The three had been invited to his party and were asked to set up beforehand. Hinowa had offered to pay them for the trouble, an offer they gladly accepted. Each of them was currently holding a present, a gift for the birthday boy.

When the Odd Jobs gang arrived at their destination, they knocked on the door, and waited to be answered.

"Come on in," called a voice from inside.

The group opened the door and let themselves in. They removed their shoes and set their neatly wrapped presents down on the floor.

"I'm in here," the voice called again. It came from the kitchen. They all walked in to find Tsukuyo looking at a list of what they assumed was a to-do for the party. She looked up to see the Odd Jobs crew entering the room. "Oh, good. You guys are here," she said.

"Tsukky!" Kagura cried. She ran over to give Tsukuyo a hug, happy to see her.

"Good morning Tsukuyo, where's the birthday boy?" asked Shinpachi. He looked around, wondering if Seita was there so they could wish him a happy birthday.

"Seita and Hinowa left a while ago," Tsukuyo explained. "They are going to spend the day at the zoo together and come back here for the party tonight."

"Wait a minute, if Hinowa's not here, who's going to help us set up this party?" asked Gintoki, who was currently picking his nose.

Tsukuyo looked at him. "She left me in charge of this task. I'll be the head of the party-planning." It was true. Hinowa had asked Tsukuyo to set up the party and had hired the Odd Jobs to give her a hand. Tsukuyo had not really wanted to do it, but Hinowa had insisted, saying it would be a good experience for her.

Gintoki couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What? Are you serious? You're in charge?"

"What's the problem with that huh?" asked Tsukuyo, starting to get angry with the samurai. The two younger Odd Jobs members just stood there in silence, watching the two adults begin to argue.

"You don't know how to throw a party do you? You're just going to screw it up," he said, shaking is head. "It's for the best if I'm in charge."

Tsukuyo was seriously starting to get pissed off now. It was true that she wasn't exactly an expert when it came to something like this, but she was giving it her all. She didn't want to let Gintoki take it from her.

"Listen, you. Hinowa left me in charge of the party. I know what I'm doing. I even made this list of stuff we need to do to make it a good party," she said, waving the list in front of Gintoki's face. "You're just the help she hired."

Seeing that Gin was about to continue arguing, Shinpachi decided to break it up. "Alright, alright. Let's all calm down." He took the list from Tsukuyo and looked it over. "These ideas look pretty good Gin-san, let's go with these."

Gin still wasn't happy. "I still don't want to take orders from someone who doesn't know what she's doing."

That comment managed to push Tsukuyo over the edge, and with one swift movement, landed a kunai in Gintoki's forehead. He fell to the ground without uttering a sound, probably because the blow had knocked him unconscious.

Kagura ran over to him, "Oh no! Tsukky, you knocked Gin-chan out cold."

Tsukuyo looked away and crossed her arms. "He deserved it for being such an ass to me."

Shinpachi sighed. _These two will spend all their time arguing if I don't do something about it. _"We're not getting anywhere like this. Gin-san, if it will make you happy, both you and Tsukuyo can be in charge. Is that alright with you Tsukuyo?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Whatever. As long as he shuts up and leaves me alone."

* * *

><p>The four of them were now sitting at the table in the kitchen, going over everything that Tsukuyo had put on the list. They would need balloons, streamers, birthday candles, candy, and all of the food required for cooking that wasn't already in the pantry.<p>

"Well, looks like that should be everything," said Gintoki as he finished going over the list.

"Tsukuyo did a good job listing everything, right Gin-san? She seems to know what she's doing," said Shinpachi, trying to ease the tension set between them earlier.

"Fine, she managed to do one thing right," he admitted, a little embarrassed.

Tsukuyo smiled upon hearing this. _At least he can admit when he's wrong, _she thought.

Gin decided to move on before anyone could comment. "Alright, let's get started then." He pointed to his two workers and tossed them the list, "Shinpachi, Kagura, you two go out and get everything we need for tonight. While we wait, Tsukuyo and I will stay here and start the cooking with what we have. Understood?"

Shinpachi and Kagura both nodded in agreement. Tsukuyo, however, was not quite on board.

"C-c-cooking? Me?" she stuttered.

Gin looked over at her. "Is there a problem, leader?"

"Yeah, I'm not exactly useful when it comes to cooking," she said nervously. "How about I go shopping with one of them, and the other can stay here and help you."

"Nonsense, these two are the ones that are truly useless when it comes to cooking," he said, pointing at his two employees. "You should do just fine compared to them."

"What do you mean by 'useless at cooking'?" asked Shinpachi and Kagura in unison.

"What? It's true," said Gin, who was trying to play it off innocently. "Hurry up and get going, we need this stuff as soon as possible."

"Fine."

Shinpachi and Kagura got up and started walking out of the room. Tsukuyo tried one last time to change their minds before they left. "W-wait a second, are you all sure about this? I-I mean…" she trailed off. It seemed like everyone was already on board with the plan.

Gin stood up and walked to the pantry. "Let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

><p>A short while later, the two chefs were getting ready to start on the cake.<p>

Gintoki was gathering all of the basic ingredients to get started while Tsukuyo watched, not really sure what to do.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Gintoki," she said, "because I won't be much help." She felt a little bad, seeing as she would end up being completely useless in this situation. She definitely didn't feel like she was in charge anymore.

Gintoki didn't seem to care about her lack of skill in the kitchen. "Don't worry, just do everything I tell you and it should be fine. I know exactly what I'm doing. When it comes to cooking, I'm a master."

Tsukuyo was a little surprised to hear this. "Really? I never knew you were good at cooking."

"Why so surprised? If I weren't any good, the whole Odd Jobs would starve to death." He looked like he was about ready to start. He turned his back to her and got to work.

"Who taught you how to cook?" asked Tsukuyo, who was still a little curious.

Gintoki seemed to slow down with what he was doing, but he kept working. Tsukuyo began to wonder if he had heard her question when he suddenly gave a reply.

"My master taught me…but that was a long time ago…" His head fell down a little bit in sorrow.

Tsukuyo didn't know what to say. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She had previously learned that he had lost his master sometime in the Joi War. She had not meant to open up old wounds. _He must have cared for his master a lot. Maybe that question was a little too personal. I should probably apologize for bringing it up._

However, before she could apologize, Gintoki brought his head back up and sped up the pace of what he was doing. He appeared to have gotten over it and was moving on. "Anyway," he said, "I'm surprised you can't cook." He had turned the attention back to her.

"Why is that so surprising?" asked Tsukuyo.

He stopped what he was doing and turned around to face her. "Well, you know. You're a woman right?"

"What's that have to do with anything?" she asked, starting to get a little angry.

"Women should know how to cook, it's one of the few things they're good at."

Tsukuyo glared at him with a vein popping out of her forehead. She was about to lose it. He was seriously pissing her off now with his sexist comments. However, before she could say anything, he kept on talking.

"Honestly, if you can't even do something that women all over the universe can do on a daily basis, then I guess you really are uesle-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP ASSHOLE!"

Gintoki had finally pushed her over the edge with his last comment. He now had a kunai planted firmly in his forehead with a small stream of blood flowing out of the wound down his face. Surprisingly, he seemed unfazed by his new wound, and was still staring at Tsukuyo, who was still steaming with anger.

"So what if I'm a woman who doesn't know how to cook? I told you that I gave up my femininity a long time ago. I'm a warrior; I don't need to know how to cook. And it's none of your business whether I can cook or not!"

Gintoki just smiled as he continued staring at her. "You should learn, I think you'd be good at it," he said sincerely.

"Why, because I'm a woman?" she snapped. She was still upset with him.

"Well, that's certainly part of it, but mostly because you're a very skilled individual that excels at everything she does. That's all." He turned back towards the counter and continued his work.

_Did he just complement me? _Tsukuyo wondered. _Damn it, what game is he playing? He's saying such insulting comments and then he says something sweet to me._ Tsukuyo couldn't help but keep watching Gintoki as he continued working, even though there was still a kunai in his head. _I guess this is how he's always been. A complete ass who shows his sweet side once in a while._

Hearing no reply from Tsukuyo, he decided to pipe up, "You know, you should say 'thank you' when someone complements you."

Tsukuyo ignored this comment and threw a cloth on his head. "Pull that thing out of your head and clean up your face. We don't need you dripping blood all over the cake."

Gintoki grabbed the cloth from his head and smiled at it. _I guess this is her way of saying thank you _he thought to himself.

* * *

><p>Before long, Shinpachi and Kagura came back carrying everything they needed for the party. The four of them spent the afternoon getting everything ready for Seita's return. Gintoki focused on finishing the cake while the other three decorated the living room in preparation for the party. When they were finished, the room looked perfectly ready for a party. It was filled with balloons and even had a large banner that had the words 'Happy Birthday Seita!' written on it.<p>

"It looks great," said Tsukuyo, happy that things turned out so well.

"I'll bet Seita is going to love it," said Shinpachi. "When are they going to get here?"

Tsukuyo looked at the clock. "Hinowa said they'd come home around 6:00. We have about 15 minutes left."

"Gin-chan! Where's the cake? I'm hungry!" shouted Kagura. She cared more about the food than the party.

Gintoki walked into the room, wiping his hands with a dry towel. "The cake is finished, but keep your hands off. It's for the party."

"Now we just have to wait," said Tsukuyo. She felt proud that she was able to get everything together. She had been a little worried when Hinowa had asked her to do this, but now she was happy she was done. And it all looked great too. _I couldn't have done it without them _she thought while looking at the Odd Jobs gang.

"Oh!" said Shinpachi, suddenly remembering something. "I almost forgot, we left our gifts at the door. Where should we put them Tsukuyo?" he asked.

"Oh, that's right," said Tsukuyo, realizing she had also forgot something. "Hinowa had some gifts she wanted me to set out too and I-" she suddenly paused. "Oh no," she said, starting to look a little panicked.

She had gained the attention of the other three. "What's wrong, Tsukky?" asked Kagura.

"I just realized…that I forgot to get a present for Seita," she said slowly. She was looking at the ground, with an expression on her face that looked like she had just done something horrible.

"Wait, are you serious?" asked Shinpachi.

"How could you forget to get him a present?" asked Gintoki. "I thought you were in charge of the party."

"I know, it must have slipped my mind," she said. "I was so focused on planning the party that I must have forgotten." She looked up at them. "What am I going to do?" she asked, hoping the three of them could somehow help her.

"There's still time!" said Kagura. "Go out and get something before they get here!"

"There's no time for that, they'll be here in ten minutes!" shouted Gintoki. "Just run to your room and grab something for him."

"Um, I don't think I have anything that a little boy would want," said Tsukuyo doubtfully.

"I know! Just tell him the cake is his present! That should work," said Kagura.

"Cake isn't a gift!" shouted Shinpachi. "There has to be something we can do!"

"Everyone stop! It's okay," said Tsukuyo. Everyone immediately shut up, bringing the chaos to an end. "You don't have to worry about it, I'll just tell him the truth," said Tsukuyo.

"What? No way!" said Kagura.

"Yeah, we can figure something out!" said Shinpachi.

Gintoki just stared at her in silence, waiting to her what she was going to say.

Tsukuyo sighed. "No, really, it's fine. It's completely my fault for forgetting. It's not your guys' problem to worry about."

"Are you sure?" asked Kagura, still hoping they could help in some way.

"It will be okay," she kept saying. "I'll just tell him that I forgot and I'll find a way to make it up to him later." She looked down at the floor again. "I just hope he won't be too disappointed with me. He has always thought of me as his big sister… and I guess I've always thought of him as a little brother," she confessed.

Gintoki continued looking at her. He thought for a second he might have seen a tear in her eye. He couldn't help but feel bad for her. After all she had done to give Seita such a wonderful party, she would end up feeling like she hadn't done a good job because of this. _It's obvious she feels really bad about the whole thing _he thought. _Maybe there is something that can still be done._

He decided to speak up. "Well, it looks like it can't be helped," he said shaking his head. He went over to Shinpachi and Kagura and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "How about you two go and bring out Hinowa's gifts while I bring ours out from the front, ok?"

They were still looking at Tsukuyo, wishing they could help her in some way. "Yeah, ok" they said. They slowly walked off to another room to fetch the gifts.

As Gintoki was about to leave the room to head out front, he looked back at Tsukuyo. "Hey, cheer up. Seita won't want to see you upset at his party, right?"

She looked up at him, revealing that her eyes were clear of tears. "Yeah, I suppose you're right," she said.

Gintoki was still sure of what he had seen earlier. He was certain something had formed in her eye. "Don't worry," he told her. "I'm sure everything will work itself out in the end."

He then walked out of the room, a plan forming in his head.

* * *

><p><strong>Author: Hello everyone! Well this is the first chapter of-<strong>

**Gintoki: What the hell is this shit?**

**Author: What? What's wrong?**

**Gintoki: This story, it sucks.**

**Author: What? No it doesn't. I worked really hard on this.**

**Gintoki: No, no, no, you completely screwed it up.**

**Author: What's wrong with it?**

**Gintoki: Let me show you. First off, do you even know what season it is in May in Japan? Is it really Spring?**

**Author: …Oh…well…I tried to research it but I didn't really find anyth-**

**Gintoki: What a dedicated author you are! You can't even do a little research for your story! You'd rather risk being wrong then do a little work!**

**Author: That's not true…I mean…I thought it would be ok…**

**Gintoki: And what about that cooking scene with me and Tsukuyo?**

**Author: What was wrong with that?**

**Gintoki: You couldn't even tell what I was doing! You just kept saying that I "continued my work". What work? What was I doing?**

**Author: Oh, well…I don't really know much about cooking myself, so I couldn't really get into the details.**

**Gintoki: Get into the details? How about you just tell them what I'm doing!? I looked like a complete idiot in that scene!**

**Author: …Well that's all we have time for today.**

**Gintoki: Hey! Don't ignore me! We're not done ye-**

**Author: Feel free to leave a review, and look forward to the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Holy crap, at least two people left positive reviews on the first chapter. That was two more than what I expected! Here's chapter two!**

Silver Moon – Book 1 Chapter 2

Tsukuyo sat in silence in the decorated living room. _How could I have forgotten? I feel horrible. _She looked around the room, staring at all the decorations she had just help set up. For some reason, it only filled her with a sense of dread. _I feel bad now but it will only be worse when the time comes and Seita actually learns the truth._

She imagined his face, all sad and disappointed. _He'll probably think I didn't care enough to get him something. It's not really about the present; it's really about who it came from. It shows that they care about you. He'll think I don't care about him _she kept thinking over and over.

Suddenly, Shinpachi and Kagura interrupted Tsukuyo's thoughts as they walked into the room. They were carrying the gifts that Hinowa had bought for Seita.

"Where should we put these, Tsukuyo?" asked Shinpachi.

"On the table is fine," she replied. The other two could still tell that she was upset with herself.

"Are you ok, Tsukky?" asked Kagura as she set down the present in her hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, not wanting to let them know how bad she still felt.

"It will be okay. Seita's a good kid. He'll understand," said Shinpachi, trying to help Tsukuyo feel better.

"I hope so," she said. For some reason, she just couldn't shake her negative thoughts. She could only think of how she had failed as an older sister figure.

Kagura looked around the room. "Where is Gin-chan?" she asked.

Shinpachi was curious too. "He said he was bringing in our gifts from the front, what could be taking so long?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Gintoki shouted from the front. He then appeared holding all three of the Odd Jobs' gifts. He set them down on the table with the others. He then looked over at Tsukuyo and noticed that she wasn't following his advice.

"I thought I told you to cheer up. You're going to ruin the party," he told her.

Tsukuyo sighed. _He's right. I need to stop acting so gloomy and cheer up for the sake of-_

"Honestly, are you going to be a bitch all night?"

"I'M NOT A BITCH!"

For the third time that day, Gintoki had once again managed to earn another kunai in his temple. Gintoki was actually happy with himself, and gave Tsukuyo a smile to show it. "Good, it looks like you're back to normal," he said. "Now try not to be a bitch until the party is over, ok?"

"You're such an ass, you know that?!" she growled.

Gintoki looked concerned. "Calm down. If you're this upset during the party, you'll probably scare the poor kid."

"I'll behave during the party so just shut up!" she screamed.

He smiled again, showing that he was satisfied with her answer. Or maybe he was just happy that he managed to work Tsukuyo into a frenzy.

_Why does he like to piss me off so much? _she wondered. _I can't stand him sometimes. Can't he tell that I'm upset about-_

She paused. She suddenly realized that Gintoki's comments had actually taken her mind off of her dilemma. Tsukuyo looked at him, watching him pull the kunai out of his head as he looked at himself in a mirror. _I can never tell what he's up to _she thought.

Suddenly, the room went silent at the sound of the front door opening. Gintoki took a quick peek into the front. "They're here!" he whispered.

It was time. Hinowa and Seita had finally come home and it was time to start the party. The group of four rearranged themselves so they were standing next to each other. The moment Seita walked into the room, they would all wish him a happy birthday.

"Everyone smile!" Gintoki said. "Let's greet the birthday boy with happy faces. That includes you, Tsukuyo."

"Shut it."

A few seconds later, the young boy known as Seita walked into the room. His face started to light up as he looked at all the decorations.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEITA!" everyone shouted.

"Oh wow," he said with a big goofy smile. He kept looking around the room, trying to take it all in. He noticed that the Odd Jobs gang was there, just like he had hoped. "Gin-san! I'm so happy you guys could come!" he said.

He started looking around the room again, but he suddenly looked back at Gintoki. His smile had disappeared, and he had a look of worry on his face. "Um, Gin-san, your face is bleeding," he said.

Gintoki put a hand on his bleeding wound, covering it up. By doing that, he managed to stop the flow of blood for the most part. Nevertheless, he still had blood running all over his face. "Don't worry about it," he said.

"Um, ok?" said Seita, not quite sure whether he should be concerned or not.

Hinowa wheeled herself out from the front into the living room. She gave a big smile as she looked at what a good job the group had done.

"Doesn't it look great, mom?" asked Seita, starting to get excited again. He could hardly believe this was all for him.

"Yes, it looks wonderful," she said. "Did you say thank you to them yet?" she asked, taking on her motherly role.

"Oh, right. Thanks you guys!" he shouted.

"No problem," said Shinpachi. "Tsukuyo was the one who planned all this," he added, trying to help her out.

Tsukuyo smiled when he said that. _He's making it seem like I set all this up. He's trying to make me look good to Seita so he won't be as disappointed with me later. Thank you, Shinpachi._

"Hey, we did most of the work," blurted out Gintoki, not even caring about what Shinpachi was trying to do. He was currently trying to wipe his bleeding face off on the living room curtains.

"Gin-san, please don't do that to my curtains," said Hinowa.

Tsukuyo glared at Gintoki, once again upset with him. _Couldn't he tell Shinpachi was trying to help me out by saying that? Does he really need attention that badly? He couldn't just let me take the credit to help myself feel better? No, he couldn't. He had to be an asshole and make me feel bad. _

Gintoki looked up from the curtains to notice that not only Tsukuyo, but also Shinpachi and Kagura were glaring at him. "What?" he asked innocently. "It's true. She couldn't have done all of this without our help."

Tsukuyo was completely fed up with Gintoki at that point. She wished the night were over already so he would finally leave. He had pissed her off enough for one day.

"Oh, well thank you all for this great party," said Seita. He was trying to make it seem like they were all equally responsible for setting up the party. He didn't want to watch them fight over something like this all night long.

An awkward silence fell on the room. Tsukuyo, Shinpachi, and Kagura were still staring at Gintoki while Seita and Hinowa looked at them, not sure what was going on.

"How about we get started on the cake?" suggested Gintoki, hoping to draw the attention back to the party.

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll go get it ready," said Hinowa, trying to ease the tension in the room. "Are you hungry, Seita?"

"Oh yeah, let's get some cake!" he shouted. He ran into the kitchen with Hinowa following behind. The group of four was left behind, still standing in silence.

"Well, I hope you're happy Gin-san," said Shinpachi, clearly disappointed. "Let's go, Kagura."

"Right, I'm starving," she said. They both made their way out of the room and into the kitchen.

Gintoki was starting to feel worried. _Why are they so pissed off? What did I say? _He looked over at Tsukuyo to see that she was looking away from him, clearly upset.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked. "Was it what I said earlier? You're not upset about that are you?"

Tsukuyo still didn't want to deal with him. "Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you," she said coldly. Without even looking at him, she started to make her way out of the room.

"Hold on," he said, not wanting her to leave because she was mad at him. He reached out and grabbed her by the arm to stop her.

"Don't touch me!" she shouted as she snatched her arm out of his grasp.

"What's wrong?" he asked, trying to sound innocent. He wanted to find out why she was so mad at him. Especially since he felt like he hadn't done anything to deserve it.

"Can't you tell I'm upset with you?" she snapped. She started to glare at him again, but then stopped and took a deep breath. After she managed to calm down a little, she turned away from him and started walking towards the kitchen again. "Just leave me alone, ok?" she said, bringing the conversation to an end.

As she exited the room, Gintoki just stared after her. "Damn it, what is she so pissed about?" he asked himself. "I just wanted a little appreciation for my help, that's all. Sheesh."

He looked over at the pile of gifts that currently sat on the table. He turned back around and started walking to the kitchen to join the others.

_She'll get over it _he thought to himself.

* * *

><p>When Gintoki finally joined them, they were ready to begin. Hinowa had placed and lit all of the birthday candles on the cake. They all sang 'Happy Birthday' to Seita and he blew out his candles. After that, Hinowa cut up the cake and made sure everyone received a piece. Once they were sure that everyone had received some, Kagura and Seita helped themselves to the rest of the cake, finishing it in minutes. After they had all finished, they moved back to the living room. It was time to open gifts.<p>

Tsukuyo took a deep breath to try to ease her nervousness. _It's time _she thought.

Seita started with Hinowa's gifts at her request. Tsukuyo watched him open each gift with exciement, followed by the satisfaction of a new toy. _He looks so happy _she thought. _I hate to be the one to disappoint him, but it's my own fault. I need to take responsibility for my mistakes._

With each new present opened, Tsukuyo just became more and more nervous. It was like a countdown until he realized that a present was absent, her present for him. _Damn it, I just wish tonight was over already. I just want to skip past the disappointment and go to bed so I can forget everything that happened today._

Seita had finished opening the last of Hinowa's gifts. After he had thanked his mother, he went to grab his next gift from the table. There were three presents left, one from each of the Odd Jobs crew. Seita carefully looked over all of them, trying to decide which one should be opened next.

He suddenly made a decision as he was looking. "I know, I should open big sis Tsukuyo's gift next!" he said in delight.

Tsukuyo froze. _Shit! He's looking for a gift from me! _She had expected him to open all of the gifts before he found out that one was missing. She didn't think he would go looking for one from her.

_Well, here we go _she thought. It was time to tell him the truth. She was about to open her mouth when Seita surprisingly picked up a present from the table and sat down with it.

_What's he doing? _she wondered. _Why did he pick up that gift? Doesn't he know it's not from me? Maybe he got so excited and just grabbed a gift thinking its mine?_

She decided to stop him. "Um, Seita, that gift isn't from me," she said truthfully. She didn't want to take a gift away from someone else. It wouldn't be fair.

Seita looked confused. "What are you talking about? Of course it's from you. It has your name on it, see?" He held the tag on the gift up so Tsukuyo could clearly read it.

To Tsukuyo's surprise, it actually said 'To Seita, From Tsukuyo'. "Oh, you're right," she said, not really sure what to think. _What's going on? I know I didn't get him something._ She looked over to Kagura and Shinpachi as Seita began opening the mystery gift. They were both looking at her with surprised looks too. They didn't know what was going on either.

"Tsukky," Kagura whispered, "I thought you said you didn't get him anything."

"I didn't…" Tsukuyo whispered back. She was now watching Seita finish unwrapping his gift to reveal a cardboard box. He opened the box and lifted out what was inside.

"Oh cool!" he cried. In his hand was a small robot toy. It had a wind-up key on its back and a button on its front. When he pushed the button, the robot's eyes shined on him like a flashlight. "Wow it's so bright!" he said. "This is so cool, thank you Tsukuyo!"

"Um, you're welcome, Seita." Tsukuyo was still confused. She decided to keep pretending like she had given him the toy for the sake of his happiness. Nevertheless, she still wanted to find out what exactly had just happened.

Tsukuyo looked around at people in the room with her. _Was it Hinowa? Did she buy something for Seita for me? _She entertained the thought of that actually being true before she denied it. _No, Hinowa wouldn't have known that I forgot. No doubt that she would be willing to help me out in this situation, but she couldn't have known. It would have had to be someone who had known. That means…_

She looked back at the three Odd Jobs members. _It was one of them. They're the only ones who knew. _She looked at Shinpachi and Kagura. They were currently watching Seita open the presents they had given him. _Those two seemed surprised that Seita had received a gift from me, so it wouldn't have been them. That leaves…_

She glanced over at Gintoki, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He was also watching Seita open the last of his gifts.

_No way _she thought. _There's no way that asshole would help me out. Why would he? It was someone else. It had to have been._

Once Seita had finished opening all of his gifts, he sat down and looked over them all. He had received a couple from his mother, the mystery one from Tsukuyo, one from Shinpachi, and one from Kagura. He calculated all of this in his head and realized he was one short.

"Hey, wait a minute," he said. "Gin-san, didn't you get me anything?"

"Huh?" he asked, acting like he wasn't paying attention. "Oh right. You see, Seita, I did buy you a gift."

"Really?" he asked, hoping he was lucky enough to get one more present.

"Yep. But I sold it," said Gintoki.

"What?"

Gintoki began scratching the back of his head. "Yeah… you see, I was going to give you your present, but I ended up deciding that I'd rather use the money for gambling instead. I figured I could hit it big and get you an even better present than the one I already had gotten you. So I sold it."

Seita was listening very closely to the story, wondering whether Gintoki was actually going to give him something or not. "And did you win?" he asked.

"I don't think you need to hear what happened after that," said Gintoki, looking a little embarrassed.

"…You lost, didn't you?" Seita asked.

"Whether I won or lost all the money isn't important," he said. "The important thing is that I was able to show up at your party and entertain you. So be grateful, you little brat."

"Ok, I guess?" said Seita, not really sure what Gintoki was getting at. All he knew was that Gintoki had failed to get him anything. Although, he was not that surprised to hear that. He was dealing with Gintoki after all.

Tsukuyo was still thinking about what Gintoki had just said. _Is that story true?_ She decided to lean over to Kagura and ask her something. "Kagura, did Gintoki have a present for Seita with him when he came here today?"

Kagura was also looking at Gintoki, thinking about the story herself. "Yeah, he did," she replied. "I'm trying to figure out when he sold it and went gambling though."

Tsukuyo stared at Kagura with a look of confusion. _Don't tell me she actually believed that story _she thought. _Anyway, she says Gintoki had a present with him when he came here today. He was here at the house with me all day, so I know his story can't be true. And now, he doesn't have a gift to give, but there is one from me. It was him. It had to be. He gave Seita his present under my name _she finally figured out.

Tsukuyo looked at Gintoki again. He was just standing there picking his nose without a care in the world. Tsukuyo didn't know what to think. She was still a little confused as to what happened. _Why would he do that? He's been an asshole to me all day, why would he help me out now?_

She wanted to talk to him, but she didn't think right then was a good time. She wanted to get him alone with her and ask him why he had helped her out. Tsukuyo kept staring at Gintoki, waiting for him to notice her. She wanted to give him a signal that she wanted to talk, but for some reason it seemed like Gintoki was trying to avoid looking at her.

_What the hell is he doing? Is he ignoring me?_ She kept looking at him, only to confirm her suspicions. It definitely seemed like he was trying to look anywhere but Tsukuyo's direction. _He is ignoring me. Why is he doing that? Whatever, I'll just go up and ask him to talk. He won't be able to ignore me then._

However, before she could follow through with her plan, it seemed like the birthday party was moving on. Seita was trying to round up everyone to play games with him, meaning she would have to put her plan on hold for now.

Tsukuyo looked back at Gintoki one more time. _I have to get him alone _she thought._ Before the night is over I will get him alone and talk to him. _With her goal in mind, she decided to go along with the party and wait for her opportunity.

* * *

><p><strong>Gintoki: Well, now that the chapter is over, let's discuss some things.<strong>

**Author: Like what?**

**Gintoki: Let's discuss all the ideas you stole from other authors and their stories.**

**Author: What? I never stole anything. I came up with this story all by myself.**

**Gintoki: That's a lie. You stole.**

**Author: No I didn't! Honest!**

**Gintoki: Really? How about the idea of a birthday party? You certainly stole that idea.**

**Author: Who did I steal that from? (Not that I stole.)**

**Gintoki: You stole it from 'Promises Should Always Be Fulfilled' by DanTE1203.**

**Author: Ok, so that story has a birthday party in it. That doesn't mean I stole the idea. Besides, the birthday party in that story is thrown for Tsukuyo, not Seita.**

**Gintoki: Is that so…**

**Author: Yes, I came up with it on my own. That's the truth.**

**Gintoki: Fine, what about this segment?**

**Author: Huh?**

**Gintoki: This segment where you and I and talk after the chapter. You stole it from 'kunai and samurai' by Jette666.**

**Author: I'm pretty sure the readers have no idea who these people are…**

**Gintoki: So you did steal it.**

**Author: Of course not! A lot of Gintama fanfics involve the author and characters interacting. It's a classic trait of Gintama.**

**Gintoki: Ok, but this segment is exactly like that one though…**

**Author: Ok, so maybe that one influenced me, but that doesn't mean I stole the idea, right?**

**Gintoki: I'm not entirely convinced.**

**Author: Besides, both of those stories are over anyway so it's ok to steal ideas from them.**

**Gintoki: Say what!? He just said it! He just said he stole from them!**

**Author: Once again, feel free to leave a review and look forward to the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

Silver Moon – Book 1 Chapter 3

A few hours had passed since Seita had opened his birthday presents and it seemed like everyone was tired. It was starting to get late, and it appeared that the party members were starting to nod off, one by one. First Kagura fell asleep, then a little while later Hinowa, soon followed by Shinpachi and Seita respectively.

On the contrary, Tsukuyo felt wide-awake. She had spent the last few hours waiting for an opportunity to get Gintoki alone to talk, but to no avail. The last few hours had been spent playing games with the birthday boy non-stop while she waited for her opportunity. After a while, Gintoki just disappeared, saying something about getting some fresh air. That had been a short while ago, before everyone else fell asleep.

Tsukuyo looked at all the sleeping people in the room with her and she smiled. _It looks like they all had a long day _she thought to herself. She decided to walk out of the room into a hallway and then down to a closet. When she came back, she was carrying several light blankets in her arms. She carefully placed one on each of the silent sleepers, doing her best to not wake them up.

When Tsukuyo was finished, she looked at them all again. _They all look comfortable now _she thought. She felt content just to stand there and watch them all sleep, but she decided that now was the best time to make her move.

_Now that everyone's asleep, it will be easy to get Gintoki alone. I just need to find him._ And with that, Tsukuyo left the living room and went searching for the silver-haired samurai.

* * *

><p>After looking around for a little while, Tsukuyo found Gintoki. He was upstairs outside on the veranda. He was leaning on the railing, looking up at the moon. The moon was large and full, bringing a fairly bright light down on to Yoshiwara.<p>

Tsukuyo walked out on to the veranda and started approaching him. "There you are, Gintoki," she said.

He looked behind him and noticed that she was there. "Oh, it's you," he said, turning his head back around.

Tsukuyo stopped a short ways behind him. _Is he still ignoring me? _she wondered. _I don't have time for this; I need to talk to him. _Tsukuyo wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to say, but she knew that she wanted to talk to him. _I want to find out why he helped me, but then what? Will I thank him? Should I thank him? Does he deserve it even though he's been an ass all day?_

She decided to take a breath and calm down. _I'll figure all that out later. For now I should just focus on getting him to talk to me. _"What are you doing out here, Gintoki?" she asked.

He replied without looking at her. "I'm just enjoying the springtime weather. I didn't get a chance since I've been inside all day." He seemed really calm and at peace, truly happy just to be outside.

"Was the party too much for you?" she asked.

"No, I just wanted a break is all," he said plainly.

A moment of silence fell between the two, but then Gintoki spoke up again. "What are you doing out here?" he asked. "I thought you didn't want to see me."

Tsukuyo sighed. _I did say that, didn't I? _"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean it, I was just upset."

"Upset with who?" he asked, still watching the moon.

"I was upset with you…and with myself," she admitted. She paused a moment waiting to see if he would say anything, but he just kept silent. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "May I join you out here?"

"Well, if you're truly sorry, I guess I can allow it," he said with a smile. He looked back at her and tapped on the railing next to him, indicating that Tsukuyo should come stand next to him.

_It looks like he's forgiven me _she thought. She walked over to where Gintoki had indicated and joined him on the railing.

"Is the party still going on?" he asked.

"Not really, everyone else fell asleep," she replied.

"I see."

Another moment of silence fell between them. "Gintoki," she began, "can we talk about what happened tonight?" She looked over at him, waiting for his reply.

"What do you mean?" he asked without looking at her.

"Can we talk about how you gave Seita a present saying it was from me?" she said, revealing that she had figured out the truth.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he insisted, still not looking at her. "You must have had a present for him the whole time and had just forgotten about it," he said simply.

Tsukuyo was starting to get angry with him. "Cut the crap, Gintoki. I know what you did. Just admit it."

Gintoki sighed and finally looked at her. "Fine, it's true. I made it look like my present was from you," he confessed. "Happy now?" he asked.

Tsukuyo could see that she was making progress with him. "Why did you do that?" she asked nicely.

"There were a couple of reasons," he said, looking at the moon again. "No doubt that if I hadn't done that, you would have sulked about it all night long."

"That's not true," she said, trying to defend herself. However, despite what she said, Tsukuyo agreed that what Gintoki predicted would probably have been the case.

"I also figured that the gift would mean a lot more coming from you then it would from me," he said plainly. "Seita doesn't care that I didn't get him anything. He's just happy his older sister got him something."

Tsukuyo didn't know what to say. _Since when did he care about our happiness? _she wondered. _Isn't this the same selfish bastard that's been an asshole to me all day? He's starting to act all sweet again._

Before Tsukuyo could figure out what to say, Gintoki added another comment that surprised her. "I don't know, I guess I just couldn't stand to see a woman's tears," he said.

Tsukuyo looked at him, shocked at what she had just heard. "What are you talking about?" she asked slowly, scared to hear what his answer would be.

"I saw you crying earlier. I felt bad for you," he explained.

"I-I wasn't crying earlier," she stuttered, trying to hide the truth.

"Yes you were, I saw a tear in your eye," said Gintoki empathetically.

"I wasn't crying," she repeated. It was true that earlier, a couple of tears might have formed in her eye, but she didn't want Gintoki to know that. It was embarrassing for her. She liked to think that she was tough and that nothing would push her to tears. Tsukuyo felt that if Gintoki saw her crying, he would think of her as weak. She didn't want him thinking that; she felt that he would only make fun of her.

"It's okay to admit it, you know?" he said seriously as if he knew what she was thinking. He was now looking right at her. "Crying isn't a sign of weakness, it shows that you care deeply about something. I could definitely tell that you care a lot about Seita. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Tsukuyo listened to his words, and they made her feel better. _It's like he knows what I'm thinking _she thought. _What he says makes sense though. It is true that I care about Seita and what he thinks of me. I was dreading disappointing him tonight, but Gintoki saved me by giving up his own gift. That was truly kind of him. I guess he really does have a heart._

Tsukuyo looked at Gintoki. "Thank you," she said. "Truly, thank you, Gintoki."

"For what?" he asked, pretending like he didn't know what she was talking about.

"For what you did tonight," she explained patiently. "For giving up your present, for making me feel better. Thank you."

Gintoki smiled at her. "Don't worry about it," he said, as if it was no big deal.

The two stood in silence for a brief moment.

"Where did you get it anyway?" asked Tsukuyo. "The gift, I mean."

"Oh, that?" said Gintoki. "I paid Gengai to build something for him. That robot was what he came up with."

"What do I owe you?" asked Tsukuyo, wanting to pay him for it since he had given it to her.

"Huh?" he said. "You don't owe me anything. Consider it a gift from me to you."

"I can't do that, Gintoki. That wouldn't be fair to you."

"Trust me," he said. "Even if I hadn't wanted to give my present up for you, I couldn't have done it. I felt so bad that I couldn't have done anything but help you out. It's my own fault for being such an idiot. Don't worry about it."

Tsukuyo looked at him with a frown. "Don't think that you can do something like this and expect me to do nothing in return. I truly appreciate what you did for me, Gintoki. Now let me repay you for it."

Gintoki looked at her and realized she was serious. He knew that she wouldn't let it go unless he let her do something for him. "Fine, if you really want to do something for me, then buy me a parfait."

"A parfait?" asked Tsukuyo, a little confused.

"Yes, I would be truly happy if you took me out and bought me a parfait."

Tsukuyo smiled to herself. _Is that all it takes to make him happy? He's so simple sometimes. _"Alright," she agreed. "I promise to buy you a parfait, whenever you like."

Gintoki smiled back at her, before looking at the moon again. "I would really appreciate it," he said.

* * *

><p>A few minutes passed in silence between the two. They were both staring up at the full moon, entranced by its beauty. They didn't mind standing next to each other in silence. They were simply happy to enjoy each other's company.<p>

_It's a beautiful sight _thought Gintoki, looking at the large moon. He looked over at Tsukuyo to see her also looking at the moon. She had a smile on her face, showing that she was enjoying the sight too.

Gintoki continued looking at her, suddenly entranced by a new moon that had come into his vision. _She looks kind of cute when she's smiling _he thought to himself.

He suddenly paused. _Did I really just think that she's cute? I've never thought that about her before, have I? Why am I thinking these things now?_ He tried to look away from her, but he couldn't. He was entranced.

_I want to look away _he thought._ But at the same time, I just want to keep staring at her. I…I like it when she smiles. _At that moment, he stopped trying to look away and just gave in to his feelings. He felt content, just watching Tsukuyo smile.

Suddenly, Tsukuyo noticed that Gintoki was staring at her and she looked over at him. "Why are you staring at me?" she asked, wondering what he was up to.

Gintoki didn't choose the words that he said next. They just came out of his mouth, as if it were the right thing to say. He said them calmly and cool.

"Is it wrong to stare at a pretty woman?" he asked.

Tsukuyo immediately blushed upon hearing this. _He thinks I'm pretty? _she thought to herself.

Her heart soon started beating hard inside her chest. Tsukuyo had always had some feelings for Gintoki, but she had never voiced them out loud to him. She had never thought that he might actually like her too. He had never said anything that would make her think that. That was, until now.

All of these thoughts just made her nervous to be in front of him. It didn't help that she was already blushing. _He's being so calm about it. What should I say? I don't want to screw this up._

Tsukuyo took her eyes off of Gintoki; she couldn't stand to see him staring at her any longer. It just made her more nervous. "Um, thank you, Gintoki," she began. "Nobody ever complements me like that."

"I'll bet people would, if you weren't so closed off to everyone you know," he said seriously.

Tsukuyo looked back at him. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"You always keep your feelings to yourself, you never let anyone know what's going on with you," said Gintoki. "You even did it tonight. You tried to hide how badly you felt and told us to not worry about helping you."

Tsukuyo thought about his words, and realized they were true. "Well, what's wrong with that?" she asked. "I don't need other people worrying themselves over me. I can take care of myself. I don't want to trouble someone else with my problems. You're the same way, Gintoki," she pointed out.

"No I'm not," he said, a little embarrassed to be accused of the same thing he had accused her of.

"Yes, you like to shoulder the burden alone and resolve things without involving your friends," said Tsukuyo. She was right. Gintoki had always tried to keep the people he cared about out of danger if he felt he could deal with it alone. That was just how he did things, and Tsukuyo was the same way.

"Yeah right, what do I care what happens to those idiots?" he said, trying to convince Tsukuyo that she was wrong.

"I think you care more than you let people know," she said. She gave him a smile to show that she liked that he cared about his friends. "It's kind of sweet," she said.

To Tsukuyo's surprise, Gintoki looked away from her and started blushing. He was embarrassed that she knew him so well, despite the fact that he tried to hide his feelings from his friends. "Whatever," he said. "All I'm saying is that if you weren't so closed off to people, you could probably get yourself a man."

Tsukuyo's smile disappeared. "Get myself a man?" she repeated slowly, a little agitated at Gintoki. "What makes you think I want a man?" she asked with clenched teeth.

Gintoki looked back at Tsukuyo, happy that he able to get the focus of the conversation off of himself and onto her. _She's kind of cute when she's angry too. Maybe I should make her angrier _he thought with a smile.

"Well, you are from Yoshiwara," he said. "You probably can't wait to jump into bed with every man you see."

"SHUT UP!" screamed Tsukuyo. She instinctively threw another kunai at Gintoki's head to show him how angry she was.

However, unlike the previous kunai she had thrown, this one did not reach its target. Gintoki held the weapon in between two of his fingers. He had caught it before it had a chance to enter his forehead.

"Sheesh, calm down," he said nonchalantly. "It was only a joke. If you put any more of these in my head, I'm going to get a giant scar." He was now swinging the kunai around his finger as if he didn't care that it almost injured him a second ago.

Tsukuyo was still steaming, but she didn't know how to respond. _'If you don't want me throwing kunai in your head then shut up' _was what she wanted to say. However, she refrained from saying that and decided on something even better to say. Something that would embarrass him as much as he embarrassed her.

"Well, you could probably get yourself a woman if you weren't such an ass!" she shouted.

Gintoki stopped spinning his kunai and looked at Tsukuyo with a smile on his face. "Is that really what you think?" he asked. He was now looking her right in the eye.

Tsukuyo looked away. She couldn't stand it when their eyes met. For some reason, it made her nervous. _Damn it, why is he smiling? That comment was supposed to piss him off, yet he's acting so cool about it. Even though I'm trying to upset him, he just plays it off like it's nothing._

Tsukuyo didn't really know what to say at that point, so she just decided to keep silent. She looked over at Gintoki to see that he was no longer looking at her, but once again at the moon. They stood in silence for a little while longer until Gintoki finally spoke up.

"Well, it's starting to get late," he said. "We should probably head home."

"I guess you're right," she agreed. Tsukuyo didn't really want him to leave, but she couldn't think of anything that she wanted to say to him at that moment. She figured it was probably best to say farewell for the night.

Gintoki walked back inside the house with Tsukuyo following behind.

* * *

><p>Gintoki and Tsukuyo walked into the living room to find that everyone was still asleep.<p>

Gintoki started clapping his hands together. "Alright, wake up you two," he called out. "We have work to do in the morning so we need to head out."

Shinpachi, Kagura, and Hinowa all slowly woke up and realized what was going on. They were all yawning and rubbing their eyes, trying to help themselves wake up a little bit more. Seita was still passed out on the floor, too tired to even notice the commotion.

"Gin-chan, will you carry me home?" asked Kagura with a big yawn. "I'm too tired to walk."

"Yeah right, I'm tired too," he said. "I'm not carrying you all the way back the surface and then some." Even though Gintoki honestly wasn't that tired, he was just too lazy to give in to Kagura's request.

"Thank you for inviting us, Hinowa," said Shinpachi, trying to be polite. "Tell Seita that we all wish him a happy birthday."

Hinowa smiled at the group. "Of course," she said. "Thank you all for coming and helping. Before you go, let me get you your pay."

"No, don't worry about it," said Gintoki. He currently had a drowsy Kagura holding on to his arm, trying to stay standing up and awake. "It's best if we go home now before it gets any later. Just give us the pay the next time you see us." He started making his way to the front, dragging Kagura along with him.

"Well, if you're sure," she said. "You all have a good night, ok? Tsukuyo, why don't you show them the way out?" she asked, looking at Tsukuyo.

"They already know the way out," she said simply.

"Yes, but it looks like Gin-san could use a little help," she insisted, pointing at the barely-awake girl attached to his arm.

"Fine," Tsukuyo agreed.

She helped them out into the front where she assisted in putting Kagura's shoes back on her feet. When Gintoki and Shinpachi had their own shoes on, Tsukuyo opened the door for them so they could walk out. Shinpachi went out on his way, but Gintoki stopped at the doorway, Kagura still clinging to him.

He looked over at Tsukuyo and said, "I'll be here on Tuesday, around 5:00."

"What?" she asked, a little confused.

"That's when I want my parfait. Tuesday around 5:00," he explained. "Will that work for you?" he asked.

Tsukuyo didn't even have to think about it. Being the leader of Yoshiwara's police force, she was free to work or take off whenever she wanted. "That will be fine," she told him.

He smiled, happy to hear that she had accepted his proposal. "Good, I'll see you then," he said.

With that, he walked out the door with Kagura's feet dragging behind. Tsukuyo stood in the doorway, watching Gintoki try to catch up to Shinpachi. After walking a short distance, she noticed that he stopped. He made Kagura release her grasp on him, and then he slowly picked her up. He then continued walking, carrying the sleeping girl in his arms.

Tsukuyo smiled upon seeing this. _He does care more than he lets people know _she thought. _He's not so bad. He's just a sweet guy who is an ass every once in a while._ She then walked back inside and closed the door behind her.

Meanwhile, down the street, Gintoki was deep in thought as he walked along with Kagura in his arms. He was thinking about what he had done for Tsukuyo that night, and what he had said earlier on the veranda.

_I think that she's cute, and I enjoy being around her _he thought. _Maybe it's possible…that I actually like her._

Gintoki continued to think about this as he walked on in silence through the streets. He didn't stop thinking about it until he was at home in bed and asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Author: Well, what should we talk about today, Gintoki?<strong>

**Gintoki: Let's talk about the title of the story: "Silver Moon".**

**Author: Ok. What's wrong with the title?**

**Gintoki: Why do you assume something's wrong with it?**

**Author: Well, you always seem to criticize the story in this segment, so I assume that since you want to talk about the title there is something wrong with it.**

**Gintoki: You're right. The title sucks.**

**Author: I knew it…**

**Gintoki: First off, why "Silver Moon"? What does that even mean? Is the moon even silver in this story?**

**Author: Well, no. I got the word 'Silver' from 'Gin' and the word 'Moon' from 'Tsukuyo'. It's like I put your names together to get the title. I think it's a pretty good title too.**

**Gintoki: Yeah, it was a good title for this awful chapter. It seems like all we did was stare at the freaking moon.**

**Author: …There was nothing better to look at…**

**Gintoki: Anyway, the readers will probably be misled by the title.**

**Author: I doubt they're expecting an actual silver moon.**

**Gintoki: No, I'm saying they'll think that this story is about a series other than Gintama. It sounds awfully similar to "Sailor Moon".**

**Author: Um…yeah, I guess so…**

**Gintoki: It also sounds like "Silver Spoon".**

**Author: Well, I've never even seen/read those series before anyway so I can't be blamed. Besides, it should be obvious that this is a Gintama story.**

**Gintoki: The worst-case scenario is that the readers will think it's a crossover between "Sailor Moon" and "Silver Spoon".**

**Author: The only thing crossing over in this story is yours and Tsukuyo's feelings for each other.**

**Gintoki: I'd rather read the crossover…**

**Author: Whatever, I'm done talking to you. Feel free to leave a review and look forward to the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, this chapter ended up being longer than I originally intended. You guys don't mind, right? XD Here's chapter 4!**

Silver Moon - Book 1 Chapter 4

It had been a few days since the night of the birthday party. The sky was clear and the sun was bright. The citizens of Yoshiwara were once again walking around the streets, enjoying the warm weather as much as they could.

Over at Hinowa's house, Tsukuyo stood on the veranda. She was looking up at the blue sky, thinking back on what had happened the other night. She remembered how she and Gintoki had stood next to each other in that exact spot, enjoying each other's company. She remembered what they had said to each other, how they had understood each other. She remembered how he had called her pretty.

Tsukuyo immediately stopped thinking about it and shook her head. _Damn it, why can't I stop thinking about what happened the other night? Why can't I stop thinking about him? _she wondered.

This had been the issue that had been stressing Tsukuyo out the past few days. For some reason, she couldn't keep herself from thinking about Gintoki. She just kept thinking back to the time they had spent together that night. It was starting to get distracting, especially when she was working and trying to stay focused. It also filled Tsukuyo with a sense of nervousness and unease when she thought about him. It made her feel like she was with Gintoki again; as if he was staring into her eyes like he had that night.

It didn't help that in about an hour, Gintoki would be showing up at her door expecting her to buy him a parfait. It was Tuesday, the day they had both agreed on. It was only a matter of time until he showed up.

Tsukuyo put her head in her hands, trying to clear her thoughts. _It won't be long before he's here _she thought. _If I feel this nervous now I can only imagine what it will be like when I'm actually alone with him. _These thoughts only made Tsukuyo worry more.

"Tsukuyo, are you all right?" asked a voice from behind her. She turned around to see that Hinowa was sitting in her wheelchair in the doorway. She was looking at Tsukuyo with a look of concern.

"Yes, I'm fine," said Tsukuyo. She didn't want Hinowa worrying about her. However, it seemed like she knew better than to believe Tsukuyo.

Hinowa began wheeling herself out on to the veranda to join her. "You seem a little upset, is something wrong?" she asked with care in her voice.

Tsukuyo still wouldn't give in. "Everything's fine," she said simply, trying to hide her anxiety.

Hinowa looked at Tsukuyo with a frown. "Come now, I know something's bothering you. Just tell me what it is so I can help you," she said kindly.

Tsukuyo looked down and sighed. _She can always tell when something's wrong _she thought. She decided it was pointless to continue hiding the truth from Hinowa. "Ok, I'm just a little nervous about tonight," she admitted.

"Tonight?" asked Hinowa with a confused look on her face. After looking at Tsukuyo for a second, she suddenly remembered. "Oh, that's right," she said. "Gin-san is coming over tonight, isn't he?"

"Yes, he's coming over so I can take him out and buy him a parfait," explained Tsukuyo. She had previously told Hinowa the story of what happened that night and how she had come to be in her current situation. She had left out certain parts of the story, specifically the part that had made her blush.

"Is that why you seem so distressed? Because you're going to be alone with Gin-san?" asked Hinowa, hitting the nail on the head.

"Yes," Tsukuyo confessed. "For some reason, that idiot is all I can think about lately. I don't know why, but I can't help it. He just keeps popping into my head. He's like a disease," she explained.

"A disease you seem to enjoy thinking about," said Hinowa with a smile. "It seems to me that you like Gin-san."

That comment immediately put Tsukuyo on the defensive. "What makes you think I like that idiot!?" she asked.

Hinowa just laughed to herself. "Relax," she said, "I was only teasing you." She paused for a moment to let Tsukuyo calm down a little bit. "Besides, what's wrong with you liking him anyway?"

"He's a selfish bastard that enjoys pissing me off," said Tsukuyo, basically summing up everything she didn't like about Gintoki in one sentence.

"Come now, he doesn't upset you that much does he?" asked Hinowa. She didn't think of Gintoki as a bad guy so she was trying to defend him.

"More than you think," said Tsukuyo, thinking back on the countless kunai she had thrown in his head because of something irritating he had said or done.

"Well, you shouldn't feel worried about being nervous," said Hinowa, trying to help Tsukuyo feel better.

Tsukuyo looked at her with a look of doubt. "I shouldn't?" she asked.

"Of course not," Hinowa replied. "It's normal to be a little nervous on your first date," she said with a smile.

Tsukuyo immediately froze and her mouth fell open in shock. "Y-y-you think it's a d-date?" she managed to stutter.

Hinowa looked at Tsukuyo, who seemed to be getting even more worried. "You mean it's not?" she asked.

"Of course not! Why would you think that?" asked Tsukuyo, still freaking out.

"Well," she began, looking out at the city. "He's coming here to pick you up right? And then you are both going out to eat together? It sounds exactly like a date."

"No that's not it!" shouted Tsukuyo. "There's no way that it's a date!"

"How do you know for sure?" asked Hinowa, looking at Tsukuyo with a look of doubt.

"That idiot would have told me so," she said, hoping that that was the case. She was starting to get worried that Hinowa might actually be right, that Gintoki was actually coming over for her instead of a parfait.

"Maybe he's trying to be secret about it. It might be his way of being romantic," Hinowa pointed out.

"What does that idiot know about romance?" Tsukuyo shouted. She tried to take a moment to calm down and think about the situation. She figured that the more she freaked out, the more Hinowa would push the idea of them being on a date. She looked over at Hinowa and decided to calmly put an end to it. "Look, it's not like that ok?"

Hinowa realized that Tsukuyo wasn't going to give in to her claims and decided to just let it go. "Just promise me you'll have fun tonight, and try not to be so nervous, ok?" she said with a smile.

"I'll try," said Tsukuyo dismally. _How am I not supposed to be nervous now? Now that you went and put the thought of us being on a date together in my head._

Hinowa wheeled herself back into the house, leaving Tsukuyo alone to think about what she had just said. She was desperately trying to convince herself that what Hinowa had just said was not the case.

_It's not a date _she thought. _It can't be a date. He would have told me if that was the case. He said he wanted a parfait, not a date. He wouldn't be secret about it, right? He's not trying to be romantic, right? It's not a date, RIGHT?_

Tsukuyo once again held her head in her hands. She didn't know what to think. Hinowa's comments had just made her feel even more nervous than she had been previously. _I don't want to believe her, but what if it's true? What if it actually is a date?_ she questioned herself.

Tsukuyo decided to just calm down and figure it out later. It wouldn't help to worry about it now. She decided to go and get ready before the silver-haired samurai showed up at her door.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, someone was knocking on the front door of the house. Tsukuyo went to open the door and found Gintoki standing there, picking his nose like he always did.<p>

"Hey. I'm here for my parfait," he said casually. "You remembered right?"

Tsukuyo was looking at him, trying to figure out what his intentions were. She decided to just go with the flow for the time being in order to figure out if they were on a date together.

"Yes, I remembered," she said. "I'm ready to leave when you are."

"Great, let's get going," he said, walking away from the door. "I've been waiting for this all day."

Tsukuyo walked out the door and began walking after him. "Hold on a second, Gintoki," she said.

He stopped walking and looked back at her. "What's the hold up?" he asked.

Tsukuyo reached into her sleeve and pulled out an envelope. She held it out for Gintoki to take. "Hinowa asked me to give this to you," she explained. "It's your pay for helping the other day."

At the mention of the word 'pay', Gintoki's face immediately lit up. "Thank you very much," he said as he grabbed the envelope with a smile.

Tsukuyo could tell he was already planning on how he was going to spend it. "Shinpachi and Kagura's shares are in there too. Make sure you give it to them before you go blow it all away."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll make sure they get it," he said, trying to get Tsukuyo to stop scolding him. "Anyway, let's hurry up get going already."

Gintoki walked around the corner of the house for an instant before reappearing. When he came back he was surprisingly dragging his trademark scooter along the ground.

Tsukuyo stared at the scooter in shock. "What the hell?" she asked. "You brought your scooter down here?"

"Yeah," he said simply. "I figured it'd be more fun to ride than to walk everywhere down here."

"How did you even get it into Yoshiwara?" she asked, still in shock.

"I brought it with me on the elevator."

"You can't do that! That elevator is for people only, it's against the rules," said Tsukuyo.

"So what?" asked Gintoki, clearly not concerned that he had broke the law of Yoshiwara. "You're not going to arrest me over something like this, are you?"

Tsukuyo sighed to herself. "I'll let it slide this one time since I owe you a favor but don't do it anymore from now on. I can't let you go around breaking the rules just because we're friends. You have to follow them just like everyone else. Understand?" she asked, staring at him with a serious look.

"Calm down," he said innocently. "I was just trying to have a little fun. You don't have to be so hard on me."

Tsukuyo was starting to get annoyed at his act of innocence. She pulled out a kunai to let Gintoki know just how serious she was. "Understand?" she asked with anger in her voice.

Gintoki knew that she wasn't going to let him off easy on this one. "Fine, I won't do it anymore," he said.

Tsukuyo seemed content with his answer. "Good," she said as she put her kunai away.

"Anyway, let's hit the road," said Gintoki. He grabbed the helmet that was sitting on the seat and held it out for Tsukuyo. "Here, put this on," he said.

Tsukuyo gave it a weird look. "What do I need that for?"

"It will protect your head if something goes wrong," he said. "Accidents can happen, you know."

"Why aren't you wearing one?"

"This is my only one. I want you to wear it."

Tsukuyo crossed her arms, refusing to accept it. "I don't need it if you don't need it" she said.

Gintoki wasn't taking no for an answer. He went ahead and put the helmet on her head without permission. "Don't talk crazy," he said. He was now looking at Tsukuyo in the eyes again. "If something were to happen to you, how could I forgive myself?" he asked.

Tsukuyo looked away; she couldn't stand it when he looked her in the eyes. _He's making it sound like he cares about me a lot _she thought. _He's being sweet again._

Tsukuyo looked back up at Gintoki. "Fine, I'll wear it if it will make you happy," she told him.

Gintoki smiled when he heard this. He sat down on his scooter and started it up. "Hop on," he said.

Tsukuyo slowly climbed onto the seat behind him. She had never rode on something like this before, so she didn't really know what to expect.

"Hold on to me," Gintoki instructed.

Tsukuyo was reluctant to comply with his request. She didn't really want to grab on to him; it would only make her feel more nervous than she already was. "Do I have to?" she asked.

"Would you rather fall off?" he replied.

Tsukuyo realized that this was the proper way to ride with two people and decided to give in. _Damn it, why'd he have to bring his scooter with him? I would have been fine with walking. _She slowly reached her arms out and wrapped them gently around Gintoki's waist. It felt awkward, touching him in such a way.

"Hold on tight," Gintoki instructed. And with that, the scooter shot off down the street, carrying its two passengers into an unforgettable night.

* * *

><p>A short while later, Gintoki and Tsukuyo were sitting across from each other in a local diner. Gintoki was looking over the menu, trying to decide exactly what he wanted.<p>

Tsukuyo just sat in silence as she watched him going over every desert the place offered. She was still trying to shake the thought that they could possibly be on a date. _This isn't what a date is like is it? _she wondered. _I've never been on one before, so I'm not really sure. Although, it seems like Gintoki is focusing more on desert than me. If it were a date, I would be what he is focusing on, right?_

Tsukuyo's thoughts were interrupted as Gintoki spoke up. "Hey Tsukuyo, can I get a sundae instead of a parfait? They look really good here." He put down his menu in order to look at her.

"Get whatever you like," she said.

"Why aren't you looking at the menu?" he asked her. "Do you already know what you want?"

"No, I'm not getting anything," she said. "I'm not hungry. Besides, I'm only here to buy you a treat anyway."

Gintoki looked at Tsukuyo with a frown. "You're going to make me eat alone?" he asked. "That's no fun. A meal is always more enjoyable when shared with a friend. How am I supposed to enjoy my desert with you just staring at me the whole time?"

Tsukuyo didn't know what to say to him. _So now he's paying attention to me? _she wondered. She just continued sitting there in silence staring at him.

Gintoki noticed that she wasn't going to respond to him, so he decided to solve the problem on his own. He called out to a waitress that was passing by. "Excuse me, we're ready to order over here!" he shouted. Several people in the diner looked over at their table to see what the commotion was.

Tsukuyo looked at Gintoki like he was crazy. "Gintoki, what are you doing?" she asked. She seemed to be embarrassed to be sitting at the same table with him.

The waitress came over with a pen and paper in her hand. "What can I do for you two?" she asked politely. She was looking at the both of them, ready to take their order.

"Bring us two hot fudge sundaes," said Gintoki, handing the waitress the menu. "That will be all, thanks."

The waitress quickly scribbled it down and smiled at the two of them before leaving. "I'll get that right away," she said kindly.

Tsukuyo watched the waitress walk away from the table. Once she was gone, Tsukuyo immediately looked back at Gintoki. "What the hell!?" she yelled at him.

Gintoki gave her a casual look. "What's up?" he asked.

"What the hell was that? I told you I didn't want anything!"

"And I didn't want to eat alone, so I solved our problem."

"No, you solved _your _problem. I don't want a sundae!"

"Relax," said Gintoki. "I'm just trying to help you have a good time. I'll pay for your sundae," he told her.

"You'll pay for it?" Tsukuyo asked in disbelief. She stared at Gintoki like he was talking crazy. _This stingy bastard is buying me something? Why the hell is he doing this? Don't tell me it's because we're on a date! _Tsukuyo began to worry again.

"Yeah, I'm willing to pay for it if it helps us have a good time together," said Gintoki casually. "Besides, I already ordered it so you have to eat it. Otherwise my feelings will be hurt."

_Who gives a damn about your feelings!? _she screamed in her head. _He's treating me to a sundae. I was supposed to come here to buy him a treat, but now he's buying stuff for me! That sounds an awful lot like a date! _She suddenly looked up to find Gintoki staring at her with worry.

"Are you all right?" he asked, a bit concerned. "You seem worried about something."

"I'm fine!" she said suddenly, trying to get his attention off of her.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Look, if it's about the sundae you don't have to-"

"It's fine!" Tsukuyo repeated. "I'll eat the stupid sundae so just shut up!"

"Um, ok?" said Gintoki, a little confused. He decided to just leave it alone for the time being.

Tsukuyo was relieved when he finally stopped looking at her and started staring out the window. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Nevertheless, she couldn't keep from stressing over her current situation. She just wanted the evening to be over so she could stop worrying about it and go home.

She glanced over at Gintoki one more time and thought to herself. _I don't know what game he's playing, but the sooner tonight is over, the better._

* * *

><p>About a half hour later, Tsukuyo was standing with her arms crossed outside the diner. Gintoki was next to her, leaning against the side of the building with his hands supporting him. He seemed to be in pain.<p>

"Uggggh it hurts," he moaned.

Tsukuyo simply looked at him. "You probably have a stomachache," she explained. "You shouldn't have downed your sundae so fast like that."

"I couldn't help myself, my sugar levels were so low…" he trailed off. It seemed like he was in pain again.

Tsukuyo looked away from Gintoki and closed her eyes. "This is what happens when you have a diet that's all sweets," she scolded him.

"Who are you? My mom?" he asked sarcastically.

Tsukuyo just looked at him from the corner of her eye. _Is that what he thinks of me? _She started to walk away from him. "Whatever," she said. "I bought you your treat, so now we're even. I'm going home."

"Wait!" Gintoki called after her. "You're not just going to leave me alone here are you? Surely not while I'm in pain?"

Tsukuyo stopped walking and looked back at him. "Just get on your scooter and come with me then," she said simply.

Gintoki managed to stand without the support of the building. He was still holding his stomach in his hands though. "Are you kidding?" he asked Tsukuyo. "That kind of motion would kill me."

Tsukuyo sighed. "Well, what do you want me to do?" she asked him. _Please don't tell me he wants me to be his personal nurse _she thought to herself.

Gintoki thought of an idea. "I think I'll be ok if I walk it off a little bit and get some rest," he said. He pointed to a public park that was near the diner. "There's a park over there, it should be perfect. You'll stay with me, right?" he asked, looking at her.

Tsukuyo started to worry again at the mention of Gintoki's idea. _He just won't let me go, will he? First we go out for a treat, now he wants us to walk in the park together? Don't tell me we're still on a date. Don't tell me it even is a date!_

Gintoki just watched her, waiting for her response. He decided to try and make her feel bad for him so she would stay. He put his hands together under his chin and looked at her with puppy-dog eyes. "Please Tsukky…" he said, using Kagura's nickname for Tsukuyo in order to help seal the deal.

Tsukuyo just looked at him out of pity and sighed. "You're pathetic, you know that?" She paused for a moment, and then said, "Fine, I'll stay with you until you feel better."

Gintoki looked pleased with himself upon hearing this. "Let's go then," he said, slowly making his way towards the park.

Tsukuyo followed after him, feeling stupid for giving in to the silver-haired idiot's request.

* * *

><p>Once they were in the park, the two of them were slowly walking side by side. It was still light out, but the sun was slowly making its way toward the horizon. It would be dark in a few hours.<p>

Tsukuyo looked at the sky and wondered how much longer Gintoki planned on keeping her there. _I don't know if I can stand this much longer. Being alone with him makes me feel uneasy. I don't even know if this is supposed to be a date. And honestly, I don't know how much longer I can take it._

Despite her thoughts, Tsukuyo just kept quiet as they walked. Gintoki wasn't saying anything either, possibly because of his stomach pain. They both just walked along in silence. Tsukuyo couldn't help but compare it to the time they spent in silence on the veranda the other night.

This continued for a few minutes until Gintoki interrupted. "Hey, can we rest for a few minutes?" he asked Tsukuyo. "I'm tired of walking."

"That's fine," she said, a little relieved that he had broken the quiet between them.

Gintoki gestured towards a nearby bench. They both walked over to it and sat down, only to have silence fall over them once again.

"Are you feeling better?" asked Tsukuyo, hoping to start some conversation.

"A bit," he said bluntly.

Tsukuyo looked over at him, to see him smiling at the sky. _He doesn't even look like he's in pain anymore _she thought. _Could it be that he's faking? Does he just want me to stay with him because he thinks we're on a date?_

Tsukuyo immediately stopped thinking and threw her head in her hands. _Damn it, I can't take this anymore! _she yelled in her thoughts. _I can't go one more second without knowing what the hell is going on right now. I'm done worrying over something that might not even be happening. I want answers. Now._

Tsukuyo quickly lifted her head out of her hands and looked at the samurai next to her. "Gintoki, I need to ask you something," she told him with seriousness in her voice.

Gintoki looked over at Tsukuyo. "What's up?" he asked.

"Is this-…are we-" she tried to say with a struggle. For some reason it was hard to get the words out.

Gintoki just looked at her with confusion, unsure of what she was trying to say. "Huh?" he said.

Tsukuyo took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She tried saying it once more. "Right now, are we…on a date?" she finally managed to say.

Gintoki just stared at her with a blank expression, giving almost no reaction to what Tsukuyo had just asked him. No words or sound came out of his mouth, but he managed to say one thing in his mind:

_EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?_

* * *

><p><strong>Author: Excuse me, Gintoki, can you please come into my office?<strong>

**Gintoki: Huh? What are you talking about? You don't have an office.**

**Author: Well, just pretend like I have an office.**

**Gintoki: But you don't…**

**Author: …Just listen up, ok?**

**Gintoki: Ok…**

**Author: This isn't easy to say, but…I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go.**

**Gintoki: …Let me go where?**

**Author: Well, you know…**

**Gintoki: What are saying?**

**Author: Basically, you're fired.**

**Gintoki: What!? Why?**

**Author: Well, you see, the editors and I think it's best for the story if we cut you out of this segment.**

**Gintoki: Editors? Like hell you have editors!**

**Author: We think you talk too negatively about the story and point out too many of the mistakes I make to the reader.**

**Gintoki: Yeah right! Your mistakes are so obvious that the reader already knows about them. I just bring them up with you so you can answer for your awful writing!**

**Author: Well, either way, you're still fired.**

**Gintoki: Hold on a minute! If I'm not going to be in this segment, then who will be?**

**Author: I was thinking we could invite other characters from Gintama and let them have a try.**

**Gintoki: Those idiots? They won't be able to do this job like I can!**

**Author: That's what we're hoping for…**

**Gintoki: You know what? I'm not leaving! You can't make me!**

**Author: Security, please come escort Gintoki out of my office.**

**Gintoki: You don't have security! Or an office!**

**Author: Anyways, feel free to leave a comment letting me know which characters you guys want to see in this segment. I'll pick some myself, but I'm also taking requests. See you all next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

Silver Moon – Book 1 Chapter 5

_Right now, are we…on a date?_

Gintoki's mind was racing, freaking out at the question Tsukuyo had just asked him. It had been so unexpected, so out of the blue. He wanted a minute to think of a proper response without letting Tsukuyo know what he was thinking. He was trying to keep his outward appearance normal, but unfortunately beads of sweat were starting to form on his face.

_Why would she ask that? _he wondered. _She doesn't really think that we're on a date right now, does she? Why the hell would she think that? I had not intended for tonight to be a date between us. Is that how she's perceiving it?_

He looked over at Tsukuyo to see that she was staring at the ground, apparently too embarrassed to look at Gintoki after asking her question. _I have to be careful about this situation _he thought. _Even though we're really not on a date right now, I can't just tell her we're not. She'll think I was toying with her emotions and I'll end up with a kunai in my head._

He took a second to try and calm down. _I better take it slowly. I'll dodge the question for now and ask her why she thinks we're on a date right now. I might be able to gently convince her that we're not on a date depending on what she says._

Gintoki looked at Tsukuyo and tried to keep cool as he asked his question. "Why do you think that?" he asked her.

Tsukuyo looked up from the ground and stared at Gintoki. "Well…" she began, "first you came and picked me up at my house. After that we went to a diner where you bought me a sundae. Then you asked if we'd take a walk through the park. And now, we're sitting alone together in the park…"

Gintoki just stared at her in silence as even more beads of sweat began forming on his face. _It sounds exactly like a date! _he screamed in his head. _Shit! I didn't intend for us to be on a date! I honestly just wanted a treat! A sundae or a parfait! I didn't want to go on a date with Tsukuyo! But now I've gone and done it. She has every reason to think that this is a date right now. What am I supposed to tell her? 'I didn't really want to spend time with you, I just wanted a free dessert'? She would kill me for sure!_

As all of this was going through Gintoki's head, Tsukuyo just continued staring at him, making him feel really nervous.

_Shit! She's expecting me to say something, but what? I have no answer for her. The truth is that we're not on a date, but I can't just say that. Maybe I should lie? _He thought about that idea for a moment before dismissing it. _No, I can't tell her that this was an actual date. I wasn't even thinking about her tonight, I was just trying to please myself. Nobody deserves that on an actual date._

Gintoki continued to struggle to find an answer that would make Tsukuyo content and leave him alive. However, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't do it. In the end, he couldn't think of anything to say to Tsukuyo. They just sat in silence until Tsukuyo slowly figured out the truth.

Tsukuyo looked down at the ground. "It's not a date, is it?" she asked him gently. "You just wanted a free dessert, right?"

Gintoki didn't know what to say. Tsukuyo had figured out the truth all on her own. His silence confirmed it. _Well, here it comes _he thought while flinching. He was preparing for dozens of kunai to begin tearing him into pieces.

However, to Gintoki's surprise, Tsukuyo didn't begin killing him. Instead, she just continued looking at the ground and sighed. "So that's how it was," she said. For some reason, Tsukuyo was somewhat let down to hear the truth. She was feeling stupid for even thinking that they had been on a date in the first place. "I guess I should have known."

Gintoki just looked at her in shock. _She's not angry? _he wondered._ No, it's something else. She seems kind of…disappointed._ Gintoki was starting to feel bad. He felt like he was responsible for making her believe that they were on a date.

Tsukuyo decided that she was done spending time with Gintoki for the night. "I'm going to go home now," she said dismally. She slowly got up and started to walk away from the park bench.

Gintoki just couldn't stand to see her leave in such a state. "Hold on," he said, getting up off the bench to follow her. "Why do you sound so disappointed?" he asked, still wondering why she didn't seem angry.

Tsukuyo stopped and answered without looking at him. "I guess…I was kind of entertained by the thought of us being on a date together."

Gintoki was confused at what she was saying. "You were? Why?" he asked.

Tsukuyo clenched her fists, but still wouldn't face Gintoki. "You really can't think of a reason why I would enjoy being on a date with you?" she asked him without emotion.

"Um…no?" Gintoki answered in confusion. He still didn't really know what she was trying to say. He was more confused than ever; he just wanted her to tell him why she seemed so hurt. "Why would you want to go out with me?" he asked.

Tsukuyo turned around to face him and answered without thinking. "Because I like you, you idiot!" she shouted.

"You…you do?" asked Gintoki, a little surprised to hear this. He had never heard her say anything like this before. He thought back about it for a second. There had been times when he had wondered if Tsukuyo might have had feelings for him, but he had never heard her voice them out loud like she was now.

Tsukuyo was a little surprised at what she had said too. Under normal circumstances, she would never have revealed her feelings to Gintoki, but right now she was too upset to care. In fact, she seemed to be getting angry, which made Gintoki worried.

Tsukuyo continued to yell at him without relent. "Of course I like you! I've always liked you! I don't know why I have feelings for a selfish bastard like you, but I do! Can't you tell that you idiot!?"

Gintoki wanted to get a word in to try and defend himself from Tsukuyo's attack, but she wouldn't stop. She just kept on yelling at him out of frustration.

"I thought that maybe you actually had asked me out on a date! I thought that maybe you had feelings for me too! I thought that I meant more to you than a freaking sundae!" she finished screaming.

Now Gintoki was starting to be annoyed by her accusations. "That's not true!" he shouted back, trying to get her to calm down and listen.

Tsukuyo, however, was still too upset to listen to anything Gintoki had to say. "Yeah right!" she shouted back. "An asshole like you doesn't care about me! Admit it, you just want me to buy you free desserts!"

Gintoki was starting to get seriously frustrated with Tsukuyo. He shouted back at her, "Did you ever think that maybe I didn't just want a sundae? That maybe I also wanted to spend time with you?"

Tsukuyo replied before Gintoki could get another word in. "Why the hell would you want to do that!?" she screamed.

"MAYBE ITS BECAUSE I LIKE YOU TOO!" Gintoki yelled at the top of his lungs.

The both of them immediately went silent upon hearing this. They were both shocked at what had just come out of Gintoki's mouth.

Tsukuyo looked at him and started blushing. "Gintoki, you…you like me?" she asked him slowly.

Gintoki was unable to answer. He was still surprised to hear what he had just said. _Did I really just say that out loud? _he thought. _I wasn't even thinking when I said it; it just came out naturally._

Tsukuyo just continued to stare at him, waiting for his reply. She could tell that he had surprised himself with his own comment. "Do you…really mean that, Gintoki?" she asked him gently.

Gintoki just continued standing there thinking. _Is it true? Do I really like her? _He thought about it for a moment before finally replying. In the end, the words just came to him. "It's true, Tsukuyo. I like you," he said sincerely. "I don't know why, but I like spending time with you. I like it when you're angry. I like it when you smile. I just like being around you. I think that you're a beautiful woman with a clean soul."

Tsukuyo just stood silent and blushed as Gintoki continued talking. Hearing all of these complements from Gintoki was making her feel weird. She felt strangely happy, but she also felt embarrassed at the same time.

Gintoki paused for a moment before finishing. "It's strange, but I'm happy when I'm with you. And if everything I just said is true, than yes, I think I like you."

Tsukuyo just looked at Gintoki, trying to take everything in. "I…I never knew…" she said. "I never knew that you felt that way about me, Gintoki."

Gintoki looked away, apparently a little embarrassed at everything he had just said. "Neither did I until just now actually," he told her somewhat jokingly.

A brief moment of silence fell between the two as they continued standing there. It was a short while before Tsukuyo spoke up. "So, now that our feelings are out in the open, what are we supposed to do?" she asked Gintoki.

Gintoki looked back at Tsukuyo and sighed to himself. He felt like he had the right answer to her question. "It would seem we are both plagued by these troublesome feelings," he told her. "I don't think we will get anywhere by ignoring them or by dealing with them alone. I think we need to confront them and see where it goes."

He paused for a moment before getting to the point. "In other words, I'm willing to take responsibility for my feelings if you are," he said with a smile. "Tsukuyo, would you like to go out with me?" he asked sincerely.

Tsukuyo couldn't help but stare in shock. She couldn't believe that he had actually just asked her out on a date. She knew it wasn't a mistake like it had been before. This time, Tsukuyo knew Gintoki was serious. She thought for a second about how she should answer him, but it seemed that she already knew the answer that would make her happiest.

Tsukuyo was a little scared to give Gintoki her answer, but she wasn't worried, not after hearing him confess his feelings for her. Tsukuyo returned Gintoki's smile with her own. "Yes, I think I would like that very much," she answered.

Gintoki looked happy to hear her answer. He felt relieved that she hadn't turned him down, despite how upset she had seemed earlier. "Well then," he said, "I guess that we're officially a couple."

"Yeah…" said Tsukuyo, hardly able to believe it. She was feeling happy, excited, and nervous all at the same time. She had just entered into her first relationship, and it was with the person she had feelings for the most. "So, what's next?" she asked, looking up at Gintoki.

"Next time, I promise I will take you on a real date. It won't be something like this," he said, indicating the time they had spent together that night. "My intentions will be clear," he told her.

Tsukuyo softly giggled at what he was saying. She found it funny that he wanted to make up for tonight. _He must feel really bad about misleading me _she thought.

Gintoki noticed her quietly laughing at him and felt embarrassed. "What's so funny?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

Tsukuyo continued to snicker at him; she couldn't help herself. "Nothing," she said, "it's just funny watching you feel bad about tonight."

Gintoki was getting upset now. "Look, if you're not going to take this seriously-"

"Calm down," said Tsukuyo with a slight frown. "I'm sorry for teasing you. I figured it would be okay since we're in a relationship now."

"Don't even try to make me feel bad for you again," said Gintoki, still agitated. "Listen, I feel bad about tonight, so I want to make it up to you by taking you on a real date. Will you accept that offer?" he asked, hoping he could just get an answer.

Tsukuyo decided to stop messing with Gintoki so he would calm down. "Nothing would make me happier," she finally answered him. "Just make sure it's for real this time, and no games!"

Gintoki smiled when he heard her answer. "You got it. We'll go on a real date next time," he assured her.

"I will hold you to that, then," said Tsukuyo.

Gintoki smiled once again before looking up at the sky. "It's a promise," he said.

* * *

><p>A short while later, they were both riding on Gintoki's scooter back to Tsukuyo's house. They had both agreed that they should probably go home for the night. Once they had arrived at their destination, Tsukuyo dismounted and removed the helmet from her head. She handed it back to Gintoki, still thinking about the events that had taken place earlier.<p>

"Well, I guess I'll see you later then," said Tsukuyo.

"Right," said Gintoki with a smile. "Listen, I'll call you up once I have plans for our date," he told her.

"Alright, I'll be waiting," she said.

Gintoki gave her one final smile before he rode off down the street. Tsukuyo watched him until he was out of sight. Once he was gone, she entered the house.

Tsukuyo walked into the living room to find Hinowa sitting there relaxing. "Oh, Tsukuyo, you're home," said Hinowa, greeting Tsukuyo with a smile. "Welcome back. How was the date with Gin-san?" she teased her.

Tsukuyo seemed to ignore her question and just walked across the living room towards the hallway. However, at the doorway, she stopped and looked back at Hinowa with a smile. "It definitely wasn't a date," she told her. She then turned back around and went into the hallway.

Tsukuyo made her way up to her room and closed the door behind her. She walked quietly over to the window and leaned out of it so she could see the night sky. The sun had just finished setting and the moon was slowly rising into the sky.

Tsukuyo smiled at the view, thinking about the fact that she now had a silver-haired boyfriend.

* * *

><p><strong>Author: Hello everyone! I would like to introduce our first new guest to this segment, Tsukuyo!<strong>

**Tsukuyo: Um…hello.**

**Author: Due to overwhelming demand from the readers, Tsukuyo was chosen to join us in this Author-Character conversation. Let's all make her feel welcome!**

**Tsukuyo: Um, excuse me? I wasn't requested for this segment by "overwhelming demand". I didn't even get one vote.**

**Author: What are you talking about? Dozens of people voted for you to be in this segment.**

**Tsukuyo: No they didn't. In fact, nobody voted at all.**

**Author: They don't need to know that…**

**Tsukuyo: I thought that they already knew. After all, nobody cares about this segment anyway.**

**Author: Tsukuyo, don't you remember that talk we had before this segment? Remember how I told you to only speak positively about the story?**

**Tsukuyo: Yes, but I can't help it. This story sucks.**

**Author: Not you too!**

**Tsukuyo: I mean, honestly, this has to be one of the worst stories I've ever read. No wonder nobody likes it.**

**Author: Grrr I'll have you know that all of the reviews for this story have been 100% positive. There has yet to be a single negative review!**

**Tsukuyo: That's because the majority of the readers stop reading without even finishing the first chapter. They don't even care enough to leave a review for this piece of crap.**

**Author: …I'm tempted to call you a b*tch but I feel like you would kill me.**

**Tsukuyo: Um, why did you censor the word 'bitch'? It's not like you haven't used it uncensored in the story before. Remember, you made Gintoki call me one? (-****Still angry about that).**

**Author: Oh, well you see, it makes me look like a better person to the reader. I don't want them to think I'm some jerk that curses all the time. I want them to think of me as a saint that would never call a lady something so vulgar!**

**Tsukuyo: If you want to talk about how much of an ass you are, I could tell the readers all about your personal life.**

**Author: …Give it up for Tsukuyo everybody! Give her a big round of applause because she's never going to be featured in this segment again!**

**Tsukuyo: Wait, wha-**

**Author: As always, feel free to leave a review and look forward to the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

Silver Moon – Book 1 Chapter 6

It was morning the next day. Gintoki was sitting at his desk, thinking back on the events that had taken place the night before.

_It almost seems like a dream _he thought. _It feels weird, knowing that I'm in a relationship now…I mean, I feel happy, and I'm excited about it. It just feels weird. It's been so long since I've been in a relationship like this. Hell, it's been so long since I've even wanted a relationship like this._

Gintoki smiled to himself as he cleared his thoughts. _There's nothing to be scared of though. I doubt Tsukuyo is feeling any different than I am right now. _He continued thinking for a second before he became a little concerned. _No, I'm not worried about being in a relationship right now. However, there is something that I am worried about…_

As if on cue, the closet door across the room slowly slid open to reveal a very drowsy Kagura. She had just woken up and was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Gin-chan? Is that you?" she asked.

Gintoki just stared at her with a blank expression. _What I am worried about are these idiots finding out that I'm in a relationship…_he thought to himself.

Kagura went to sit on the couch as she let out a big yawn. "You're finally home," she said to Gintoki. "I fell asleep before you came back last night. Where were you anyway?"

Gintoki just kept silent. The original reason he hadn't told Shinpachi and Kagura where he was going was because he thought that they would want to tag along. He feared that if that had happened, Tsukuyo wouldn't have fulfilled her promise. He figured that she wouldn't be willing to take them all out and treat them to a dessert.

However, Gintoki now had a better reason to keep the truth from them. _If I let any of them find out that Tsukuyo and I are going out, it'll be horrible. Not only will I feel embarrassed, but also all of these idiots will go ballistic upon hearing the news. It's inevitable; they're always interfering with my personal life. This time will be no different. If anything, it could be worse than ever before!_

Gintoki tried to calm down and figure out how to deal with his current situation. _I'll have to keep it a secret for now. I know that they'll find out eventually…but the longer I can put it off, the better._

Kagura was looking at him, trying to get his attention. "Gin-chan? Are you even listening?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

"Huh?" said Gintoki, snapping out of his thoughts.

"I asked you where you were last night," she repeated.

"Oh, right," said Gintoki, trying to sound normal. He didn't want Kagura finding out the truth. "It's none of your business," he told her simply, hoping she would just drop the subject.

Unfortunately for Gintoki, it did not work. Kagura was now even more curious. "You're acting weird. Are you trying to hide something?" she asked.

Gintoki became nervous upon hearing her question. "Of course not," he dismissed her.

"Then how's come you won't tell me where you went last night?" asked Kagura, continuing to question Gintoki further.

Gintoki put his hands down on his desk out of irritation. "Look, it's something I can't tell little kids like you about."

Kagura become angered when she heard that. "You can tell me! I'm not a little kid!" she yelled.

Gintoki just smiled at her. He knew how to get her distracted and she had just taken the bait. "Really?" he said. "If it's true that you're not a kid, then why are your boobs so small?"

"SHUT UP!" screamed Kagura, standing up out of anger.

Just then, the door across the room slid open and Shinpachi walked in. "What are you guys yelling about so early in the morning?" he asked the two in front of him.

Gintoki took the opportunity to try and change the subject before Shinpachi had a chance to become suspicious of him like Kagura had. "It's nothing important," he said, "We were just-"

"Gin-chan won't tell me where he went last night and he's pissing me off!" Kagura interrupted him.

"Oh, that's right," said Shinpachi, thinking back on the previous night's events. "You left without even letting us know that you were leaving. I ended up going home before you came back," he explained. "Where were you anyway?"

Gintoki just looked at him with a frown. _I can't catch a break, can I? _he thought. "Look, it's not important. I was just out taking care of some business," he said.

Shinpachi gave him a curious look. "You mean, like a job?" he asked.

Gintoki scratched the back of his head out of nervousness. "Well…not exactly."

"Hold on," said Kagura. "Are you trying to do jobs without us so you don't have to pay us!?" she shouted.

Shinpachi just looked at Gintoki in disappointment. "That's low Gin-san…"

Gintoki was waving his hands in front of him, trying to deny their claims. "Now hold on a minute!" he shouted. "You guys don't really think I would do something selfish like that do you?"

Shinpachi and Kagura just stared at him with shadows over their eyes. Their silence confirmed that they believed it.

"Look, it's not like that," said Gintoki. "Last night, I was just taking care of something personal. It's completely private and none of your business. And you can both stop asking because I'm not going to give in."

Shinpachi and Kagura both looked at each other and sighed.

"Fine," said Kagura.

"We'll leave it alone," said Shinpachi.

Gintoki smiled upon hearing this. "Good, I'm glad you understand," he told them. _I finally got them off my back _he thought with relief. "Anyway, there is something I need to give you," he said, producing a small bundle of cash in each hand. "Here's your pay from helping out with Seita's birthday party the other day."

Both of their faces lit up as they took the money from his outstretched arms.

"It's about time!" said Kagura, counting her small fortune.

"Yes, thank you, Gin-san," said Shinpachi. He also began counting his money when a thought struck him. _Wait a minute. When did he get this money from Hinowa? Did he go to Yoshiwara last night?_

Shinpachi thought about asking Gintoki his question, but decided not to out of politeness. After all, he had already told him that they would stop asking him about it.

"You're both welcome," said Gintoki. "Now please do me a favor and leave the room for a while," he said with a serious face.

"Huh? Why?" asked Shinpachi and Kagura in unison.

"I need to make a very important phone call and I can't have the two of you in here distracting me," he explained.

"Whatever," said Kagura, who was just happy that she had received her pay.

Shinpachi had a feeling that something suspicious was going on, but decided to comply with Gintoki's request for the time being. "Ok, we'll leave," he agreed.

Gintoki gave them both a look of gratitude. "Thank you," he said. "And close the door on your way out!"

They both walked out to the front room and closed the door behind them as Gintoki had asked.

Shinpachi couldn't help but still feel a little curious as to what Gintoki was up to. "I wonder who he's calling," he told Kagura. "If it's really important it might be a while before we're allowed to go back in."

"Who knows?" asked Kagura. "Anyway, if it's going to be a while, I'm going to take Sadaharu out for a walk. What about you?"

Shinpachi looked around the cluttered house around him. "I think I'll stay here and clean up a bit," he told her. "After all, it seems like I'm the only one who ever bothers to. Honestly, what would a customer think if they saw this mess?"

"Whatever," said Kagura, who was leaving the room to go get dressed for the day. She didn't really seem to care about Shinpachi's complaints.

Shinpachi just sighed as he went to work. "Some things never change," he said.

* * *

><p>Back in the main room, Gintoki just sat at his desk in silence as he stared at the door. He waited a few minutes to make sure that Shinpachi and Kagura weren't about to come back in. Once he was sure that he could make his call in safety, he picked up the phone. He dialed the number for Hinowa's house and waited for someone to answer.<p>

To his surprise, Tsukuyo's voice was the one that greeted him upon being picked up. "Hello?" she asked.

"Tsukuyo?" he asked. "It's me, Gintoki."

"Oh, good morning," she replied, sounding happy to hear him. "How are you doing?" she asked.

Gintoki smiled as he listened. "I'm good, how are you?"

"I'm fine…" she replied slowly. "Just in case, you do remember what happened between us last night, don't you? You didn't forget, right?"

Gintoki just laughed upon hearing this. "Of course not. It's hard to forget something like that," he said. "Believe it or not, I was actually thinking about you this morning."

"Really?"

"Yes, I was hoping I could see you again sometime so I could fulfill my promise."

"Oh, our first date, huh?"

"That's right, I have an idea in mind. Ready to hear it?"

"Go ahead," said Tsukuyo, listening carefully.

"Friday night, at 6:00, we go out to eat at my favorite ramen shop. It's a place called 'Daigo Ramen'. After that we can hang out together, just the two of us. Does that sound okay?" he asked gently, hoping she would accept his simple idea of a date. He didn't want the two of them to feel overwhelmed on their first night alone.

"That sounds great," said Tsukuyo, actually sounding kind of excited about his proposal. "Should I just meet you there?" she asked.

"Sure," Gintoki replied. "Also, if it's okay with you, let's just keep it casual. I don't really feel like getting all dressed up if you don't."

"That's perfectly fine with me," said Tsukuyo, sounding a little relieved. She didn't really like dressing up like other women. She preferred to wear her casual clothing. She was happy to hear that Gintoki was the same way.

"Well great," said Gintoki. "It's a date. I'll see you at 6:00 on Friday then."

"Right, I'll see you then," said Tsukuyo. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Gintoki smiled as he hung up the phone. He was excited for their first date. He no longer felt scared or nervous like he had earlier that morning. _It doesn't feel weird anymore._ _It feels…nice _he thought. _I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm really looking forward to being in a relationship with her._

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Shinpachi was standing still outside the room. He was holding a feather duster in his hand, but he was not using it. He had been dusting around outside the room where Gintoki was, where he had accidently heard part of Gintoki's conversation on the phone. He was standing still because he couldn't believe what he had just heard.<p>

_Believe it or not, I was actually thinking about you this morning. I was hoping I could see you again sometime. It's a date. I'll see you at 6:00 on Friday then._

Shinpachi just continued standing there as he thought about what he had just heard Gintoki say. _Who was he talking to?_ he wondered. _He was thinking about someone and he said he wanted to see them. And then he said it was a date… Does Gin-san have…a girlfriend!?_

Shinpachi couldn't help but wonder if that was the case. _Is that why he was acting so suspicious? He did seem like he was trying to hide something from us. Is this what it was? I need to get to the bottom of this. I think he said he's meeting this girl on Friday. I'll try to find out what's really going on when the time comes._

* * *

><p>Tsukuyo smiled to herself as she hung up the phone. She was really excited for her first date in her first relationship. She stood there thinking about what the date would be like. <em>It sounds like it will be nice <em>she thought to herself. _It will just be the two of us spending time together. I don't know why, but I always feel happy just being around him. It should be a pleasant evening._

As Tsukuyo stood there thinking, Hinowa came into the room. She curiously looked over at Tsukuyo who was standing near the phone. "Tsukuyo, who were you just on the phone with?" she asked politely.

Tsukuyo just looked at her. She thought about hiding the truth from her, but decided against it. She had a lot of respect for Hinowa and she didn't like to lie to her. "It was Gintoki," she answered honestly.

Hinowa gave Tsukuyo a look of surprise. "Really? Why was he calling?" she asked.

Tsukuyo suddenly became very nervous. "He just needed to tell me something," she said with a very quiet voice. She didn't want to let Hinowa know anything that she didn't need to.

Hinowa just stared at Tsukuyo with a frown. She could tell that something was wrong. "Tsukuyo, what are you trying to hide from me?" she asked seriously.

Tsukuyo just froze upon hearing the question. _How can she tell? Sometimes I think she's too good at being a mom. _Tsukuyo just sighed and decided to give in. She knew that Hinowa would just keep asking until she had the information anyway. "Fine, I'll tell you, but you have to keep it a secret," she said.

Hinowa gave Tsukuyo a smile to show her that she could be trusted. "Of course, you can tell me anything" she replied.

Tsukuyo took a deep breath, as she was about to reveal her secret. She didn't really want anyone to know that she was going out with Gintoki, but she felt that she could tell Hinowa without being embarrassed. She knew that she could trust Hinowa with her secret.

"Last night," she began, "when Gintoki and I were alone, he… he asked me out on a date," she said with a slight smile.

Hinowa's face lit up upon hearing this. "Really?" she shouted with excitement. "This is wonderful! Oh, Tsukuyo, I'm so happy for you!"

Tsukuyo gave Hinowa a look of alarm as she was screaming very loudly. She tried to calm her down so she would be quiet. "Ssshhhh! Please be quiet, Hinowa. I don't want the whole world to know."

Hinowa realized that Tsukuyo was trying to keep it a secret and tried to settle down. "I'm sorry, Tsukuyo. I'm just happy to hear that you and Gin-san are finally going somewhere."

Tsukuyo gave her a look of confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, it was obvious that you two had feelings for each other. I was just waiting for the both of you to finally realize it yourselves."

Tsukuyo simply blushed without saying a word. There was truth in Hinowa's words, but she didn't want to let her know that. _Had my feelings really been that obvious? _she wondered.

"Anyway, I'm happy to hear that you two are going out now," Hinowa continued. "When is your date?"

"Well, he just called to tell me," said Tsukuyo. "We're going out to eat at 6:00 on Friday."

"Sounds wonderful," said Hinowa. "I hope the two of you have a good time together."

"Thank you," said Tsukuyo timidly. She paused for a moment before she gave Hinowa a serious look. "Listen, Hinowa, I know you're happy about this and all, but you have to promise to keep it a secret, ok?"

"Why? Don't you want to let people know?" she asked.

"Not really," she said honestly. "Or at least, not right now. It's embarrassing for me. I'd rather just keep it between us for now. Do you understand?"

Hinowa gave Tsukuyo a small smile. "I understand. I'll keep it a secret for now."

Tsukuyo gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Hinowa. Please just keep it a secret from Seita and the Hyakka. They're not as understanding as you are."

"Yeah, yeah. I just hope you realize that you'll have to tell them eventually."

Tsukuyo gave her a nod to show that she understood. "I will when I'm ready, just not right now."

Hinowa continued to stare at her for a second before she decided to leave her alone. "Well alright then," she said, "I have some work to take care of, but I'll be around. Let me know if you need any help getting ready for your date," she said with a smile and a wink.

Tsukuyo just watched her leave in silence. _I hope she can keep my secret _she thought. _I'm not ready to let other people know yet. If anyone else besides her knew about me and Gintoki, I don't know what I would do._

* * *

><p><strong>Author: Now that the chapter is over, let's welcome our new guest character to the conversation. It's none other than the main heroine of Gintama herself, Kagura!<strong>

**Kagura: Hey, what's up?**

**Author: First off, let me just say that you are one of my favorite female characters in all of anime and manga!**

**Kagura: Oh wow, thank you so much. That means a lot.**

**Author: And now that we've gotten that out of the way, go ahead and read the request from the reader.**

**Kagura: Huh? What're you talking about?**

**Author: You know, that card I gave you that has a request from one of our readers written on it. You are supposed to read it.**

**Kagura: But I thought that I was here so that I could talk about the story.**

**Author: Oh…no, none of that. You're just here to read the card.**

**Kagura: What? But what about all of that praise that you were just giving me? Are you really going to make one of your favorite characters just stand here and read you a request from a reader?**

**Author: …Yeah, pretty much.**

**Kagura: …You're a real asshole, yes?**

**Author: Just read the damn card.**

**Kagura: Ugggh, fine. It's a request from someone named Nekoadmirer. It says, **_**"Can you make a chapter where Shinpachi and Kagura and the others will shockingly find out about Gintoki and Tsukuyo's relationship! Please the funny way!"**_

**Author: Thank you, Kagura. You may have been able to tell from this chapter, but that is the direction this story is heading. I plan on having Gintoki's and Tsukuyo's friends all become suspicious of them going out, leading to chaos and hilarity throughout the rest of Book 1.**

**Kagura: So this is how you write, huh? You let the readers come up with the ideas for you.**

**Author: Actually, no. This is how I planned Book 1 before I even wrote the first chapter.**

**Kagura: Wow, really?**

**Author: As far as you know.**

**Kagura: …So now do I get to ask a question?**

**Author: Nope, we're out of time.**

**Kagura: Wait, but I didn't even get to do anything!**

**Author: Too bad, we're done. Anyways, I would just like to say a quick thank you to everyone who reviews, favorites, or follows this story. I always look forward to reading all the comments you guys leave behind. It's stuff like this that encourages me to keep writing. Thank you all! See you next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

Silver Moon – Book 1 Chapter 7

Shinpachi walked down the street towards the building where he worked. He was walking rather quickly, hoping he could make it there as soon as possible. He was coming back late from a job that Gintoki and Kagura had left him in charge of. They had both been helping Shinpachi earlier, but they ended up going home and leaving him alone to finish the job by himself.

The reason Shinpachi was in a hurry was because it was Friday evening. He was still suspicious of Gintoki possibly being on a date and he wanted to find out if his suspicions were true. If he were too late, he would miss his opportunity to catch Gintoki sneaking away. He wanted to confront him about it as soon as possible.

Shinpachi made it to the building and quickly climbed the stairs that led to the second floor. He opened the door and made his way into the office/living room. To his dismay, the only people in the room were Kagura and Sadaharu. Kagura was sitting quietly on the couch while Sadaharu was sleeping in one of the corners.

The young girl looked up once she noticed that Shinpachi had entered the room. "Oh, you're back huh?" she asked casually.

Shinpachi was looking around the room, hoping Gintoki was still there. "Yeah, I finished the job. Where is Gin-san at?" he asked.

Kagura let out a puff of air. "He disappeared a little while ago."

"Did he say where he was going?" he asked, wondering if Gintoki had left an excuse.

"Nope, he left without an explanation. AGAIN," said Kagura, sounding slightly annoyed. "I mean, seriously, is he going to just keep running off without telling us where he's going?"

Shinpachi just let out a sigh to let Kagura know that he felt the same way. _Not if I can help it _he thought in response to her question. _If I can't confront him before he leaves, I guess I'll just have to wait until he comes home._

* * *

><p>Tsukuyo was currently walking through the streets of what was known as 'the surface'. She wasn't too familiar with the area but she knew how to get around when she needed to. She was on her way towards the ramen shop that she and Gintoki had agreed to meet at for the evening.<p>

Unsurprisingly, she was very nervous. She was hoping the night would go smoothly, but she didn't really know what to expect. This was an entirely new experience for her. Hinowa had tried to give her some advice before she had left, but Tsukuyo had been too uneasy to listen. Now, she couldn't even remember a word that she had said.

_I need to calm down _she thought. _I won't be able to enjoy the date if I'm this anxious. What am I so scared of anyway? I do things more dangerous than this on a daily basis. So why am I so nervous about this?_

Tsukuyo's thoughts were cut short as she turned the corner of a street to find the shop that she was looking for. She noticed that Gintoki was already there, standing out in front of the building. She stood still for a second, simply staring at him. She took a deep breath and gathered up all her courage as she walked over to meet him.

"Good evening, Gintoki," she said as she approached him. She managed to give him a small smile, despite her uneasiness.

Gintoki smiled as he noticed her. "Oh, hey," he said, sounding relaxed. He didn't seem to be nervous at all. He looked completely calm about the situation.

"How long have you been standing here?" asked Tsukuyo. As she looked at him, she noticed that he had his right hand behind his back.

"Just a few minutes. I wasn't waiting for long," he replied. He stared at her for a second before he spoke up again. "Anyways, here," he said, pulling his hand out from behind his back. He was holding a single purple flower in his hand. "This is for you," he said simply.

Tsukuyo just looked at it with a blank expression. "What is it?" she asked out of surprise.

Gintoki just stared at Tsukuyo as if she was stupid. "Um, it's a flower," he said, making it sound like it was obvious.

Tsukuyo just continued staring at it. "What do I do with it?" she asked.

Gintoki was starting to get irritated. "What do you mean? You're supposed to take it," he replied.

"Why?"

"It's something you give a girl when you take her out," he explained. "It's supposed to be sweet."

Tsukuyo just couldn't understand the concept. "I don't get it. Why would I want a flower?"

"Just take the damn thing," said Gintoki, practically shoving the flower into her hands. He was trying to do something nice for his date but she had basically just ruined it for him. "Let's go inside and eat," he said, trying to move on.

"Uh, ok?" said Tsukuyo as she looked at the flower in her hands. _Do girls actually like this kind of thing? _she wondered. She followed Gintoki into the ramen shop as he led them to a table. The place was mostly empty with only a few tables actually having customers sitting at them.

The couple went ahead and took their seats in the corner of the restaurant. Gintoki figured that the two of them could get some more privacy there. Tsukuyo set her flower down on the table, still not really sure what to do with it. They proceeded to open the menus that had been sitting on the table before they arrived.

"Try and order something cheap if you could," said Gintoki from behind his menu. "I don't have a lot of money to spend so we need to keep it simple."

Tsukuyo put her menu down and tried to look at him. "You know, Gintoki, I can pay for my part of the meal. It's no big deal," she said. She honestly felt kind of bad for the guy. She knew that he didn't always have a lot of money and that he needed every penny he earned.

Gintoki put his menu down for a second and gave Tsukuyo a serious look. "Don't be ridiculous," he said. "I'm paying for everything, no questions about it."

"But Gintoki, I really don't mind helping you out," she said sincerely.

"I promised I would take you on a real date, didn't I?" he said seriously. He lifted his menu back up and started looking at it again. "On a real date, the man pays for everything. That's just how it goes. And it doesn't matter how poor he is either," he said from behind the menu.

"Are you sure?" asked Tsukuyo. "I don't want to be a burden."

Gintoki put down his menu one last time to look at her. "You're not a burden. I want to do this. Trust me, it's worth it," he told her. He then pulled up his menu one last time to signify that he was done talking about the subject.

Tsukuyo just looked down at the table. She figured she had no choice but to let him do what he wanted. "Well, ok then," she said. "Thank you, Gintoki, I appreciate it."

"Mm-hmm," he mumbled from behind the menu.

Tsukuyo simply smiled to herself as she continued looking at the table. _He's trying really hard to make this a good date _she thought. _It's kind of sweet. I like him better when he's trying to be nice to me. It's hard to believe that a week ago I hated his guts. What ever happened to that asshole that enjoyed pissing me off? _she thought with a quiet giggle.

As the two of them sat there trying to decide what to eat, a lady approached their table with a pen and paper in her hand. Once she arrived, she looked over at Gintoki and gave him a small smile. "Well, look who it is," she said. "What brings you here Gin-san?"

Tsukuyo stared at the woman with a look of curiosity. _Who is this woman? She seems to know Gintoki._

Gintoki gave the woman a small smile in return. "Hey, Ikumatsu. We're just here to get something to eat," he explained. He didn't bother mentioning the fact that they were currently on a date.

The woman known as Ikumatsu gave Tsukuyo a friendly look. "Gin-san, you usually come here alone," she said. "Who is this you brought with you?"

"This is Tsukuyo," he explained without getting into the details. He was trying to keep things simple for the time being. "Tsukuyo, this is Ikumatsu. She's the owner of the shop," he said, finishing the introductions.

Tsukuyo gave Ikumatsu a small smile and extended her hand out toward her. "It's nice to meet you, Ikumatsu," she greeted her.

Ikumatsu gently grabbed Tsukuyo's hand and gave it a friendly handshake. "Same to you," she said kindly. "So, tell me about yourself. Are you a friend of Gin-san?"

Tsukuyo was suddenly caught off guard by the question. "Oh, well, uh," she stuttered. She didn't really know how to answer her. She knew that the two of them were in a relationship now, but she didn't know if it was exclusive information. She looked over to Gintoki for help.

Gintoki started coughing and scratching the back of his head. "Actually, Ikumatsu, we're kind of…more than friends," he said quietly. He was lightly blushing, showing that he was somewhat embarrassed to reveal the truth.

Ikumatsu crossed her arms in surprise. "I never thought I'd see the day," she said. "You finally found yourself a girlfriend, did you?"

"Yeah, something like that," he mumbled, still scratching his head.

Tsukuyo just sat there in silence as she stared at him. She was somewhat blushing herself. She felt weird, hearing Gintoki say that they were in a relationship together.

Ikumatsu didn't seem to mind the couple's embarrassment. She actually thought it seemed kind of cute. She looked over at Tsukuyo for a quick second. "Good luck with this one, sweetie. He's a real handful. Trust me, you're going to need it," she said with a small laugh.

Tsukuyo just gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, r-right," she said.

The three of them stood in silence for a moment before Ikumatsu spoke up again. "Anyways, I wish the best for the both of you. I hope you both find happiness together."

"Thank you, Ikumatsu," said Gintoki, pausing for a moment. "Listen, can you do me a favor and keep quiet about us for now?" he asked her sincerely. "I kind of want to keep it a secret for the time being. I don't want anyone finding out, especially Zura. Do you think you can do that for me?"

Ikumatsu gave Gintoki a look of confidence. "Of course Gin-san, I won't let your secret slip," she assured him. "Katsura still comes around from time to time, but I won't tell him what you've been up to."

Gintoki gave her a smile. "Thanks Ikumatsu, I knew I could count on you."

Tsukuyo just sat in silence, thinking to herself about what Gintoki had just said. She found it interesting that he wanted to keep the relationship a secret. She had some questions for him, but she didn't want to ask them until the two of them were alone.

Ikumatsu lifted her pen and paper as she looked at Gintoki and Tsukuyo. "Anyway, I came over her to take your order. Do you two know what you want?" she asked kindly.

"Um, we're not really sure yet," said Gintoki honestly. "We were hoping we could get something cheap that still tastes good."

"I'll tell you what," she said. "I'll give you each the fried rice meal for half price since you're on a date."

"Sounds great," said Gintoki, realizing he could get a bargain. "Is that ok with you, Tsukuyo?"

Tsukuyo snapped out of her thoughts at the mention of her name. "Huh?" she said in confusion. "Oh, yeah that's fine," she answered, realizing what Gintoki had just asked her.

Ikumatsu scribbled the order down on her paper and turned to leave. "I'll bring it over when it's ready," she said as she walked away.

Tsukuyo watched Ikumatsu leave until she disappeared into the kitchen. Once she was sure she was gone, she got Gintoki's attention. "Um, what was that about?" she asked gently.

"What do you mean?" he asked, a little confused.

"You said you want to keep our relationship a secret for now. Is that true?"

Gintoki looked down at the table. "Well, yeah…" he answered truthfully.

"How's come?" she asked, still trying to sound gentle.

Gintoki just continued staring at the table between them. "I'm sorry, Tsukuyo," he said. "I haven't told anyone about us yet. I also don't plan on telling anyone anytime soon. I just don't want people finding out about it. It's kind of embarrassing to tell my friends that I have a girlfriend, you know? It's just not the kind of thing that they expect from me. Truthfully, I'm scared to tell them about us because I'm not sure how they'll react."

Tsukuyo just gave him a look of sympathy as she listened. "I understand," she said.

Gintoki looked up at her. "You do?"

"Yeah, the truth is, I haven't really told anyone either," she confessed. "Like you, it's not what people expect from me. It's not easy to let them know. Honestly, I'd rather keep the relationship a secret for now too."

Gintoki just continued staring at her. "So, you really haven't told anyone either?" he asked.

"Well, I did tell Hinowa, but I made her promise not to tell anyone else until I'm ready," she admitted.

"I see," he said. There was a small moment of silence before Gintoki spoke up again. "Well then, if it's aright for you, I think we should keep the relationship secret for now. At least until we're ready to tell other people anyway."

Tsukuyo thought about it for a second before she answered. "That's fine by me," she agreed. She didn't really want to keep secrets from their friends, but she figured it was for the best.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, the two of them were slowly walking through the streets of Yoshiwara. The sun had set a short while before and the sky was full of stars. They were currently heading back towards Tsukuyo's house so they could bring the night to a close. They were taking their time, simply enjoying each other's company.<p>

As they were walking, Gintoki suddenly looked over at Tsukuyo and grinned. "Hey, hold out your hand," he requested.

Tsukuyo gave him a look of confusion. "Why?" she asked.

"Come on, just do it," he said, encouraging her to trust him.

"Um, ok…" she replied, not really seeing what he was getting at. She extended out her hand as he had instructed. To Tsukuyo's surprise, Gintoki went ahead and grabbed her hand with his own. He held it gently, treating it as if it were something special.

Tsukuyo began to feel nervous upon her realization that they were holding hands. She began to blush a little bit as she felt the warmth of his touch. _He's holding my hand _she thought. _Touching him like this feels weird. I'm not used to this. I've always been fine just being around him, but touching him is a little out of my comfort zone._

As they continued walking in silence, Gintoki glanced over at Tsukuyo. He noticed that she seemed kind of uneasy. "Are you ok?" he asked.

Tsukuyo looked down at the ground as she continued blushing. "Yeah, I just feel a little nervous when we do this," she said, indicating the embrace that they currently had.

Gintoki gave her a look of sympathy, feeling a little sorry for her. He realized that she wasn't used to this sort of thing. "Don't be nervous," he said with a look of encouragement. "You don't have to be nervous around me. You can feel relaxed without worry. I'm not going to bite, you know?"

Tsukuyo just looked at him without saying anything. She knew that she could trust him and what he was saying. She tried to calm down and just enjoy the feeling of his hand holding on to hers.

Gintoki looked up at the stars and decided to keep talking. He was hoping he could help her relax a bit more around him. "You know, it's been a really long time since I've been in a relationship quite like this one. I think I had almost given up on the thought of me ever finding a woman I wanted to be with. I lost interest in finding someone to spend my time with."

He paused for a moment before continuing. "But now, I'm in a relationship with you. And honestly, I'm really enjoying it. I like being with you, Tsukuyo. I don't feel any pressure when I'm with you, and I wish you could feel the same," he finished. He looked over at her, hoping his talk had made her feel better.

"I'm sorry," said Tsukuyo, looking at the ground. She felt bad that she didn't feel as comfortable as Gintoki did in the relationship.

Gintoki gave her a look like she was crazy. "What are you talking about? You don't have to apologize for being nervous. It's just the way you are; you can't help it. You'll get used to it eventually. You just have to give it time. It's no big deal."

Tsukuyo gave him a look of appreciation. She was truly grateful for everything he had just said. "That's very sweet of you to say, Gintoki," she said. She then paused for a moment before she revealed something to him. "Truth be told, you're the only man I've ever wanted to be in a relationship with. I'm truly happy that we're together."

Gintoki smiled. _It seems like she's finally opening up around me _he thought. "I'm glad to hear that," he told her. "Keep thinking like that and you'll stop feeling nervous in no time."

After Gintoki finished talking, the couple turned a corner to arrive on the street where Tsukuyo lived. They slowly approached her house as the date began to come to an end. They walked in silence, both of them enjoying their final moment with each other for the night.

Once they had arrived at Tsukuyo's house, they let go of each other's hand. Tsukuyo looked at Gintoki with a small smile as she began to say goodbye. "Thank you for taking me out tonight, Gintoki. I really enjoyed spending time with you."

Gintoki looked happy when he heard her say that. "Of course. I hope it wasn't too boring for you. I know that we didn't do a whole lot."

"Nonsense, it was a wonderful evening," Tsukuyo assured him. "I'm definitely looking forward to the next one." Tsukuyo paused for a moment as a thought struck her. "There will be another one, right?"

Gintoki just gave a soft laugh. "Don't worry, there will be more to come," he promised. "I'll be sure to call you whenever I come up with plans. And you're free to call me too, of course."

Tsukuyo started to feel a little excited upon hearing that. "Sounds great. I can't wait for it," she said.

Gintoki gave her a serious look. "You seem really excited," he told her. "I feel like I should give you something to hold you off until the next date."

Tsukuyo looked at him with confusion. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

Without responding, Gintoki leaned in towards Tsukuyo and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. Tsukuyo just stood still in shock as it happened. She didn't even know what to think.

The kiss only lasted for a short second before Gintoki leaned away. He gave Tsukuyo one final smile before he turned away and started heading home. "I'll see you later," he called out as he walked away.

Tsukuyo just continued to stand there in shock. She managed to lift her hand up to the place where Gintoki had just kissed her. She kept standing there outside her home for a few minutes before she realized that Gintoki had left.

Tsukuyo stared off in the direction that he had disappeared to make sure that he was actually gone. "Good night, Gintoki," she managed to whisper. She opened the door behind her and entered the house. She just looked at the floor and smiled to herself as she walked through the front. _I just had my first kiss _she thought silently.

Meanwhile, a short ways away, Gintoki was making his way towards the elevator that would take him back to the surface. Just like Tsukuyo, he was also thinking about what had just taken place between them. For some reason, only one question came to his mind as he walked.

_When was the last time I kissed a woman like that and meant it?_

* * *

><p><strong>Author: Hello everyone! I'm happy to bring you another amazing chapter of-<strong>

**Kagura: Hello everyone.**

**Author: Wait, what? Kagura, what are you doing here?**

**Kagura: I'm here to talk to you, duh.**

**Author: But you were featured in this segment in the last chapter, remember?**

**Kagura: Yeah, but I didn't even get to do anything, so I decided to come back for another chapter.**

**Author: Are you serious? Who even authorized this?**

**Kagura: You did, right? Doesn't the author authorize things?**

**Author: Well…**

**Kagura: Anyway, I'm totally ready to be a part of this segment. I even noticed a mistake you made in the chapter!**

**Author: Lucky me…**

**Kagura: Earlier, Tsukky said that Gin-chan 'needed every penny he earned.'**

**Author: So?**

**Kagura: We don't have pennies. We use yen.**

**Author: It was just an expression. I'm sure the readers will understand what I'm saying.**

**Kagura: Wow, you sure are giving them a lot of credit…**

**Author: Ah! What are you trying to say, Kagura? Are you implying that the readers are-**

**Kagura: Don't worry about it. They're probably too dense to figure it out.**

**Author: Just for the record, I do not agree with what she's saying!**

**Kagura: Anyway, I still have a question from the last segment.**

**Author: Oh boy, what is it?**

**Kagura: When are we going to get to the main villain of this arc? I want some action in this piece of crap.**

**Author: Oh, the main villain? Uh…well, you see…Book 1 doesn't really **_**have **_**a villain.**

**Kagura: …Huh?**

**Author: Yes, I'm sorry to say that we won't be getting any villains in Book 1.**

**Kagura: Seriously? I'm dropping this piece of shit.**

**Author: Hold on, the other arcs will have villains! I promise!**

**Kagura: I doubt it, you'll probably find a way to screw it up.**

**Author: No, I'll bring in some really cool Gintama villains, like Crocodile and Doflamingo!**

**Kagura: …Aren't those One Piece villains?**

**Author: …Anyway, feel free to leave a review and look forward to the next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

Silver Moon – Book 1 Chapter 8

Gintoki was silently walking up the stairs towards his home. He was trying to be quiet so that no one would become aware of his presence. It was starting to get late and he didn't want anyone waking up and catching him sneaking back home. Once Gintoki had made it to the top of the stairs, he quickly walked to the front door and managed to slip inside.

The first thing he noticed upon entering his house was that the lights were still on. _What the hell? _he thought. _Kagura is usually asleep at this time of night. Why are all the lights still on? Don't tell me she's still awake._

He slowly walked towards the door that opened to the main room. It was currently closed, but Gintoki was still able to notice that the lights were on in that room too. _Maybe Kagura just fell asleep with the lights on. She was probably just waiting for me to come home. Yeah, that's it._

Gintoki quietly slid open the door, hoping he was right. The first thing he noticed was that there was somebody sitting on the couch in front of him, but it was not Kagura.

"Shinpachi?" he said out of surprise. "What are you doing here?"

The young boy with glasses simply looked up at Gintoki as if he had been there the whole time. "Hello, Gin-san. I was wondering when you'd come home."

Gintoki stepped into the room as he closed the door behind him. He had not been expecting Shinpachi to be there. He usually headed off for home long before it got late. It was kind of unusual that he was still here at this time of the night.

Gintoki decided to go ahead and ask him some of the questions on his mind. "What are you doing here so late? And where is Kagura at?"

Shinpachi continued staring at Gintoki as he answered his questions. "Kagura went to bed a little while ago. I was just going to stay here until you came home," he told him. "I didn't want to leave Kagura all alone until you got back."

Gintoki started to feel a little nervous as he listened. _Is that really why he is here? His story seems kind of off. Why wouldn't he want to leave Kagura alone? She can take care of herself. Is it possible he was waiting for me to come home because he is suspicious of where I've been? Is that the real reason why he's here?_

Gintoki decided to clear his thoughts and just focus on getting Shinpachi to leave for the night. He was getting tired and was about ready to go to bed. "Thank you for staying here so late," he told him. "I'm sure Kagura will appreciate that you kept her company even after she fell asleep." He paused for a moment before getting to the point. "Anyway, now that I'm back you're free to head on home," he told Shinpachi, secretly implying that he should leave.

Shinpachi gave Gintoki a serious look as he spoke up. "Actually, Gin-san, I was hoping I could ask you a question before I left."

Once again, Gintoki became nervous upon hearing Shinpachi. "A question, huh?" he managed to say.

"Yeah, I was hoping you could tell me where you have been all night," he said, getting right to the point.

Gintoki just stared at Shinpachi, not trying to show any of his anxiety. He was silently thinking to himself. _Shit! He is definitely suspicious of me. He must think that I'm hiding something. If I'm not careful, he'll figure out that Tsukuyo and I are dating!_

Gintoki calmed himself down and tried to play the situation off casually like he had before. "It wasn't important," he told Shinpachi. "I was just taking care of some adult business. It's nothing to worry a kid like you about. Now, I think it's about time that you-"

"Gin-san," Shinpachi interrupted him, "I kind of…overheard the private phone call you made a few days ago," he revealed.

Gintoki just froze where he was standing. _He knows…_

Shinpachi took a moment before he decided to accuse Gintoki of his big suspicion. "Gin-san, is it possible that you're going out wi-"

Before Shinpachi could even finish his sentence, Gintoki had leapt over to him and covered his mouth with his hand. He wrapped his other arm around Shinpachi's body so that he couldn't escape. Shinpachi just looked at him out of fear as he tried to speak.

Gintoki was looking at him with a look of worry and seriousness. "Just be quiet and come with me," he whispered to Shinpachi. He slowly began to drag the boy towards his room where they could talk without fear of being heard.

Shinpachi decided not to resist. He figured he might be able to get some answers out of Gintoki if he did as he was asked.

Once the two of them were in Gintoki's room alone, Gintoki released his hold on Shinpachi. Without wasting a second, he quickly closed the door and turned to face the boy. "I'm not going out with anybody," he blurted out.

"Wait, what?" said Shinpachi. He could tell that Gintoki was starting to freak out. "Hold on a minute," he said.

"I don't know what you heard on that phone call, but I'm not going out with anybody," Gintoki insisted.

Shinpachi tried to calm him down. "Hold on a minute, Gin-san! I haven't even accused you of anything yet."

Gintoki looked at him and realized he was right. He tried to take a deep breath and relax. He knew that if he kept overreacting like that he would accidently reveal his secret.

Shinpachi decided to try and explain things to Gintoki in a calm manner. "Listen," he said, "the other day I accidently overheard part of your phone call. At the time, I thought it sounded like you were inviting a woman out on a date. I also heard you say that you were taking this woman out on Friday evening. I thought I might be wrong, but when Friday night came around, you just disappeared. I couldn't help but be suspicious, so I decided to wait here until you got home. I was going to ask you if you were seeing someone, but just now you freaked out before I could even accuse you of it."

Shinpachi paused for a moment and let out a sigh. "Just tell me the truth, are you going out with someone?" he asked gently.

Gintoki just stared at Shinpachi in silence. His look was that of utter defeat. He knew that he could not talk his way out of this one. Shinpachi had figured out Gintoki's secret, and he knew it.

Gintoki let his head fall as he sighed. "It's true," he said, "I'm going out with someone."

The room went silent as Gintoki's official revelation sunk in. Shinpachi looked at Gintoki with a soft smile, happy that he had finally discovered his secret. However, he still had some questions he wanted answered.

"Why did you keep it a secret from us?" he asked softly.

Gintoki just stared off into the room. He had explained the same thing to Tsukuyo earlier that night. Now he would have to do it again for Shinpachi.

"I was afraid," he admitted. "I was afraid of how you guys would react upon hearing the news."

Shinpachi didn't really understand. "Why?" he asked.

"Well, you know, you guys are always interfering with my life. You, Kagura, your sister, that granny downstairs, everyone. You all go crazy every time something new happens to me. I figured that this time would be no different. If I told everyone that I was seeing someone, I doubt that they would take it lightly."

"Seriously?" said Shinpachi. "You really think that your friends would go crazy upon hearing this?"

Gintoki gave him a look of doubt. "You think they would keep calm if I told them I was dating a girl?"

"Well, maybe not that," admitted Shinpachi, "but they definitely wouldn't go on a rampage or anything like that. I think that most of them would be happy to hear that you found someone to spend your time with. I know I am."

"Really?" asked Gintoki.

"Of course, it's nice to know that you are happy being with someone," he said with a smile.

Gintoki gave him a small smile in return. "I appreciate what you're saying, Shinpachi, but I doubt that everyone else is as understanding as you. You may be accepting of this, but the others may not be able to say the same."

Gintoki paused for a moment before continuing. "Look, I still don't want to let everyone know about this just yet. I need you to keep this a secret for me, just until I'm ready to tell them. Can you please promise me you will do that?" he asked with a pleading look.

Shinpachi could tell that this was important to Gintoki. He honestly didn't feel like Gintoki needed to keep his new relationship a secret, but he knew that it was what he wanted. _If he wants to keep it a secret for now, I guess he has every right to _he thought to himself.

"Fine, I won't let anyone else know about this," Shinpachi agreed. Gintoki started to show a look of relief on his face when Shinpachi suddenly continued. "However," he said, "I have one condition you must fulfill if you want me to do this."

Gintoki now showed a look of dread as he began to feel nervous again. He didn't know what Shinpachi was about to ask of him. All he knew was that whatever it was, he would have to do it. Shinpachi knew his secret, and he was currently at the boy's mercy. "Fine. What do you want?" he asked solemnly.

Shinpachi gave Gintoki a look of triumph. "I'll keep your secret if you tell me who it is that you are going out with," he requested simply.

Gintoki just looked at Shinpachi with a blank face as he thought about the request. He didn't see the harm in telling Shinpachi. He had already agreed to keep everything a secret anyway. "I'm going out with…Tsukuyo," he revealed.

"Really?" said Shinpachi in surprise. "You're going out with Tsukuyo?"

Gintoki looked down at the floor. He was immediately starting to regret his decision to tell Shinpachi. "Yeah, what's wrong with that?" he asked, trying to defend himself.

"Nothing!" said Shinpachi quickly. "There's nothing wrong with you two going out. It's just that…well," he paused for a moment. "I was kind of under the impression that she hated you."

"She does," Gintoki said without thinking. "No, wait, she did hate me, or at least she used to- OH WHATEVER! The point is we're a couple now!" he snapped.

Shinpachi just smiled, happy to know the truth. "Well, that's great," he told Gintoki. "I think you two will make a nice couple." He went silent for a second before he continued. "Now, you see? It wasn't that hard to tell me your secret was it? You can tell the others without worrying," he assured him.

Gintoki still had his doubts about that. "Yeah, whatever," he said. "Just make sure you keep it a secret like you promised."

Shinpachi just sighed. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone a thing," he promised. _I guess Gin-san just won't change his mind _he thought to himself.

Gintoki let out a breath of relief. He had managed to keep his secret safe for the second time that night. _First Ikumatsu, now Shinpachi _he thought. _I hope no one else starts to become suspicious. It is exhausting enough just trying to tell two people without having them going around and spreading the news. I hope telling people becomes easier with time…_

Gintoki let out a big yawn. He was starting to get tired. He had been through a lot that evening, and he was ready to go to bed. "Well, Shinpachi," he said, looking at the boy, "if we're done here, I think you should head on home. It's getting late and I'm stressed out and tired."

Shinpachi gave a nod to show that he understood. "Ok, Gin-san. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Right, see you then," said Gintoki. He opened his bedroom door so that Shinpachi could leave. He took a quick glance at Kagura's closet to make sure that she was still asleep.

Shinpachi went ahead and exited the room, making his way out of the building. He was also starting to get tired and was about ready to fall asleep.

Once he was sure that Kagura was asleep and that Shinpachi was gone, Gintoki began to get ready for bed. As he prepared himself, he thought about everything he had revealed to Shinpachi that night. _I think I can trust him _he thought calmly. _Shinpachi is not like the others. He's more understandable than they are. I can trust him to keep my secret safe._

And with that, Gintoki crawled into bed, and fell asleep without another thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Author: Hello everyone! Since this chapter featured Shinpachi as a main character, he will be our guest. Hello Shinpachi!<strong>

**Shinpachi: Hello Author-san. I'm really excited to be here. Believe it or not, I'm actually a fan of your work.**

**Author: Wait, really?**

**Shinpachi: Of course, I think that this story is pretty good.**

**Author: …Wow.**

**Shinpachi: What's wrong?**

**Author: Oh, nothing. It's just that you're the first character to praise my story. Hell, you're the first one to not call my story a piece of crap.**

**Shinpachi: I would never say that. This story is good, no doubt about it.**

**Author: Well, thank you Shinpachi. I really appreciate the complement.**

**Shinpachi: However, even though your story is good, it definitely has some minor problems.**

**Author: …Huh?**

**Shinpachi: First off, why is this chapter so short? Couldn't you add some more material to it before you published it? Are you trying to cheat the readers out of what they deserve?**

**Author: Um, no? I wrote everything I wanted to put into this chapter. I didn't feel the need to add more…**

**Shinpachi: Second, how's come it takes so long for chapters to come out huh? Do you know how long the readers have to wait for your lazy butt to release more chapters?**

**Author: I can't help it! I have work and school! I don't have time to write new chapters every day.**

**Shinpachi: Third, why is this segment so repetitive? It's just the same old characters talking crap about the story. Can't you come up with something new already?**

**Author: You think I like this abuse!? Besides, I thought you liked this story! Where is all of this negativity coming from?**

**Shinpachi: I don't see what you're so upset about. You're the one who makes us say all these things anyway. After all, aren't you the one who writes this?**

**Author: I…uh, I don't want to answer that…**

**Shinpachi: You like to make it seem like we're bullying you, but you're the one writing all this!**

**Author: Um…I think this is a good stopping point. Let's wrap up the segment, shall we?**

**Shinpachi: Hey, don't ignore my questions! We want answers!**

**Author: As always, feel free to leave a review and look forward to the next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

Silver Moon – Book 1 Chapter 9

_One Month Later…_

Tsukuyo quietly walked through the streets of Yoshiwara as she lightly smoked on her pipe. She was currently on patrol and was simply keeping an eye on what was going on around her. The morning was sunny and peaceful, and it seemed like everyone in the city was enjoying the warm weather.

As Tsukuyo walked on, she allowed her mind to take a break from her job as she thought about Gintoki. She started thinking about all of the time the two of them had spent together in the last month. They had been able to sneak away on quite a few dates in the time that they had to themselves. It was surprising; each date that they went on had been something new and different. One day they went to the movies, one day they had a picnic, one day they went to the beach.

Tsukuyo smiled as she continued walking. _It's been wonderful _she thought. _I've had such a great time being with Gintoki. He's really getting used to showing his sweet and caring side to me. He's hardly even pissed me off or anything. He's such a nice guy…_she thought, starting to daydream a little.

Suddenly, she snapped out of her thoughts and focused on doing her job again. Once she made sure that nothing was going on in her current location, she started to think again.

_We still haven't told anyone about us though. The few people that we did tell are still keeping it a secret. I wonder; how much longer are we going to put this off? Maybe we should talk about it the next time we get a chance._

Tsukuyo brought her thoughts to an end as she went back to focusing on her patrol.

* * *

><p>A little later that day, Shinpachi and Kagura walked into the bar that sat below their workplace. Shinpachi appeared to be a calm and quiet mood while Kagura, on the other hand, seemed like she was upset about something.<p>

Upon noticing that the two kids had entered her empty bar, the kind old lady known as Otose gave them a look of surprise. "You two again?" she asked.

"Yeah, we're back," said Shinpachi, taking a seat at the bar. Kagura went ahead and plumped down right next to him.

Otose continued to stare at them with surprise. "What, did Gintoki kick you guys out again?"

"Yeah," spat Kagura, "he's having another 'private phone call'. We're not allowed to be in the room."

Otose just sighed as she listened. For the past month, Gintoki had consistently forced Shinpachi and Kagura out of the house in order to make private phone calls. The two of them had managed to find refuge in Otose's bar whenever this happened, giving them a place to relax as they waited. Naturally, Kagura was upset that she had been sent out of the house so many times, but Shinpachi didn't seem to mind it. Perhaps it was because he knew the truth behind Gintoki's mysterious phone calls.

Otose looked at the kids with some sympathy. "Honestly, why does Gintoki insist on sending you two out of the house so much? Just what game is he playing?" she wondered.

"I don't know, but he's pissing me off!" shouted Kagura, starting to get angry. "He's been making these phone calls almost every day! And he never allows us to be anywhere near him when he does it! It's so annoying!"

Upon hearing the noise Kagura was making, Catherine and Tama walked out into the bar from the back room. "What's all the fuss about?" asked Catherine with a sneer. "Oh, it's you two again," she said, recognizing the bar's two new regulars.

"Has Gintoki-sama banished you again?" asked Tama with a kind voice.

"Yeah, another phone call," said Shinpachi.

"These phone calls are only the beginning of it," explained Kagura, still in a rage. "Gin-chan has been acting weird lately."

This new information seemed to catch the interest of Otose. "How so?" she asked, wanting to know more details.

"He's been disappearing on random nights and afternoons for several hours at a time," said Kagura. "And whenever he comes back, he never tells us anything. It's like he's trying to hide something from us."

"Really?" said Otose, her eyes widening upon hearing this. "I wonder…"

Everyone stared at Otose and realized that she might have figured something out. "Do you know something, Granny?" asked Kagura in excitement. "Tell me!" she shouted.

Otose folded her arms and looked kind of amused. "Well, I have a theory…" she said with a smile.

"Please tell me!" Kagura begged. "I want to know what Gin-chan's up to!" By now the others in the room were also very interested in what Otose was going to say.

Otose closed her eyes and continued smiling as she revealed her answer. "It's possible that Gintoki has managed to find himself a lover."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes widened in surprise, including Shinpachi's. They all had looks of shock on their faces as they had never imagined such a thing before.

"Gintoki-sama has found a machine to spend his time with?" asked Tama in wonder.

"That mop-head?" sneered Catherine. "No way, who would want to go out with an idiot like him?"

"Gin-chan likes a girl?" asked Kagura in surprise. "Are you sure, Granny? That's never happened before."

"Well, it is just a guess," said Otose, looking at the group around her. "But it would certainly explain everything that has been going on. When he's on the phone, he's actually talking to this girl. When he disappears, he's probably taking her out on dates," she explained.

As the others thought about the possibility of Otose's claims, Shinpachi simply sat there in silence with his mouth hanging open. _She figured it out _he thought. _She doesn't realize it, but her guess is spot on. She knows exactly what Gin-san is up to._

Shinpachi continued to sit there without saying a word, starting to think about what he should do to handle the situation. _I promised Gin-san that I wouldn't let his secret slip, but I can't help it if they figure it out on their own! What exactly should I do? I mean, I know I don't have any obligation to keep them from finding out, but is that the right thing to do? Should I just sit here and let them figure it out?_

Shinpachi was now trying desperately to figure out a solution for both Gintoki and himself. _I made a promise to him _he thought. _I promised I wouldn't tell anyone his secret. Gin-san wanted me to keep this secret for him no matter what happened. Even though I didn't agree to keep others from finding out on their own, maybe I should try anyway. After all, Gin-san wouldn't want all of these women to come knocking on his door wondering why he hasn't told them that he's seeing someone._

He paused for a moment before arriving at his answer. _I'll do it_ he thought. _I'll do my best to convince them that they're wrong. I don't want to hide this from them like you do, Gin-san, but for your sake I'll help you out. You'll owe me one for this._

Shinpachi immediately started listening to the conversation again. The others were currently talking about how likely it was that Otose's claims were true.

"I guess it could be possible," said Kagura slowly. It seemed like she was actually starting to believe that Gintoki was going out with someone.

Shinpachi suddenly joined in on the conversation. "Now, hold on a minute," he said. "We can't be sure that Gin-san is seeing someone. You're all just making assumptions right now. How do we know he's not hiding something else?"

Everyone looked at Shinpachi out of curiosity. "Like what?" asked Kagura.

Shinpachi was suddenly caught off guard. He hadn't thought that far ahead. "I don't know, it could be anything," he said. "All I'm saying is that we don't know for sure that he's dating someone. We shouldn't jump to conclusions."

"Well, what Granny said seems to make sense," said Kagura. "I can't think of anything else that would explain it."

The group went silent as they considered Shinpachi's words. "How do we find out what the truth is?" Catherine asked as she looked towards Otose.

Otose simply crossed her arms once again and sighed. "Well, I suppose you could just ask Gintoki if he's going out with someone," she suggested.

"You think he would give an honest answer?" asked Kagura with a look of doubt. "He'll probably just dismiss it like he has every time I've tried talking to him."

"That's true enough," admitted Otose. "If Gintoki hasn't told you what's been going on all this time, he's probably not going to do it now."

The room once again went silent as the group thought about how they could get the truth from Gintoki. Shinpachi decided to take the opportunity to calm them down and dismiss their claims.

"Maybe we should just keep quiet about it for now," he suggested. "I'm sure that Gin-san will tell us what's going on in his own time. Maybe he's just not ready yet. We should probably just wait for him to tell us the truth when he is ready."

Kagura slammed her fist down on the bar in front of her. "Screw that!" she shouted. "Gin-chan has been hiding this secret for a month already! He's had plenty of time to tell us what he's up to! I can't wait any longer, I want to know the truth right now!"

Otose gave the young girl an amused look. "And how exactly are you going to find out?" she asked out of curiosity.

Kagura smiled as she came up with an idea. "I'll just go around and ask everyone what they know. Maybe there's someone out there that knows what Gin-chan's secret is."

With a clear goal in mind, Kagura went ahead and hopped to her feet. She started making her way towards the door. "I'm off to go investigate, I'll let you know what I find out," she said.

Shinpachi watched her slowly walk out of the building in fear. "Wait! Kagura-chan!" he called after her. He immediately got to his feet and started running after her. "I'm coming with you!" he shouted.

As he caught up to her, Shinpachi realized what his priorities were. _I can't leave her running around on her own _he thought. _I'll have to try and keep her from doing any damage with her new suspicions._

As the two kids walked out the door, the other three were left to think about the situation. Tama looked over to Otose and decided to ask her a question. "Otose-sama, do you really believe that Gintoki-sama has found himself a lover?"

Otose simply smiled to herself as she thought about the possibility of it. "It's certainly possible," she said," but honestly, I wouldn't mind if he was dating a girl. It would be nice if he could finally give me some grandkids."

Catherine looked at the old lady as if she were crazy. "You do know that that idiot isn't really your kid, right?"

Otose continued smiling as she answered her. "Come on now, can't you let an old lady dream a little?"

* * *

><p>While Shinpachi and Kagura had been sitting in the bar, Gintoki had been talking to Tsukuyo on the phone. He had made sure that both of his workers had left the room beforehand. "So, what are you up to?" he asked Tsukuyo casually.<p>

"Not much," she replied. "I just came home from work."

"I see," said Gintoki. "Do you have to go back later?"

"No, the Hyakka said that they could handle it. I have the rest of the day off."

"Interesting, do you have any plans for your day off?"

"Not really. Why, did you want to do something?" asked Tsukuyo.

"Yeah, how about we meet for lunch? I have a job I need to take care of in the afternoon, but we can still have lunch together. How about it?"

"That sounds great, where should we meet?" she asked, sounding interested.

Gintoki gave Tsukuyo the details and they agreed to meet each other in a half-hour. Gintoki said his goodbye and hung up the phone. He smiled to himself as he got up and exited the room.

_I wonder where Shinpachi and Kagura went off to_ he thought as he stepped outside his house. _I was going to have them help me with that job this afternoon. They must be around here somewhere._

He descended the stairs that led to the street and looked around for his friends. Suddenly, the front door of Otose Snack House opened up and Tama walked out carrying a broom. She immediately noticed Gintoki standing there.

"Ah, good morning, Gintoki-sama," she greeted him. "How are you today?"

"Good," he replied. "By any chance, have you seen Shinpachi and Kagura around? I need to tell them something," he explained.

"Yes, Shinpachi-sama and Kagura-sama went out into town a little while ago," she informed him.

"They did?" asked Gintoki in surprise. "Did they say when they would come back?"

"No," said Tama, "but I believe that they will be gone for the whole day."

"Seriously?" groaned Gintoki. "Great, now I'll have to do the job by myself." He sighed to himself, wondering why the two of them had suddenly wandered off into town for the day. "Well, anyway, thanks for the info," he said as he started walking away.

"Are you going out into town too, Gintoki-sama?" asked Tama out of curiosity.

Gintoki stopped and turned around to answer her. "Yeah, I'll be gone for a few hours. If anyone asks where I am, just tell them that I'm busy."

Tama gave him a look of surprise. After a couple of seconds she seemed to return to normal. "Ok, I think I understand," she told him. "I'll let them know what you're doing."

Gintoki gave her a somewhat confused look. "Um, thanks?" He felt like she was acting weird, but he decided it was time to get going. He didn't want to be late for Tsukuyo. "I'll see you around," he called out as he walked away.

"Farewell, Gintoki-sama," said Tama as she watched the man walk away. "Have fun with your lover," she added at the end.

Gintoki held his hand up and gave a slight wave to show that he understood what she had said. Unfortunately for him, however, he had only caught the first part of Tama's final comment. 'Have fun' was the only part that he had clearly heard. The term 'lover' never reached his ears. If it had, Gintoki would surely have stopped in his tracks and questioned Tama about everything she knew. But it was not so. In the end, he walked away, accidently letting his secret slip out without even realizing it.

Tama simply stood there as she watched him give a wave. In her mind, that gesture confirmed any suspicions revolving around Gintoki having a lover. She decided to take the opportunity to register her new data.

"Data confirmed," she said.

* * *

><p><strong>Author: This time around, I'd like to welcome Granny Otose to this segment. Say hi, Otose!<strong>

**Otose: Why do I have to be here?**

**Author: …What?**

**Otose: Why am I in this segment? I don't want to be here.**

**Author: What? Why not?**

**Otose: This is a place for idiots to showcase themselves. I don't want to be a part of that.**

**Author: What are you talking about? This is a place for all of the Gintama characters to try and make the reader laugh.**

**Otose: Exactly, it's a place for idiots to do stupid things.**

**Author: Hey now, we don't just do stupid things in here!**

**Otose: Oh, right, you make fun of this shitty story too.**

**Author: Now hold on a minute!**

**Otose: Honesty, why in the world did you think I would want to be a part of this? There's nothing appealing about this. There's not even any wine or anything.**

**Author: Wine? You want wine? You own your own bar! Get your own damn wine!**

**Otose: Sheesh, you sure know how to make someone feel welcome. Don't you feel bad now that you've yelled at an old lady? Honestly, this is why nobody likes your story.**

**Author: I'm about to put you down for a nap you ungrateful hag!**

**Otose: Good, that's better than being here.**

**Author: Why you- Hey! Where are you going?**

**Otose: I'm out of here. Don't bother calling me back.**

**Author: Fine! Go ahead and leave! See if I ever put you in my story again!**

**Author: …Damn it, she would probably like that…**


	10. Chapter 10

**All right! This story now has a total of 10 chapters and 20 followers! We're in the big leagues now! (right?)**

Silver Moon – Book 1 Chapter 10

Shinpachi and Kagura walked through the streets of Edo until they arrived at the first stop in their investigation. Surprisingly enough, it was the Shimura Dojo, Shinpachi's very own home.

Kagura stopped outside the gates and looked back at Shinpachi. "Let's see if the boss lady knows anything," she told him with an excited look on her face.

"You mean Sis?" asked Shinpachi, looking a little worried.

"Yeah, she knows Gin-chan pretty well. I'll bet she might know what he's been up to," Kagura replied with confidence. She went ahead and opened the gate allowing the both of them to enter.

As they walked through, Shinpachi started to feel nervous. _This could be bad…_he thought. _Kagura is going to let her know exactly what she's suspicious of. I won't be able to keep her from doing that, so I'll have to convince Sis that the suspicions are false. It's the only way to even try to keep Gin-san's secret safe. I hope this goes well._

The two of them managed to find Otae sitting just inside the dojo at a table. The door to the outside was open, allowing the warm breeze into the house. Surprisingly, she was not alone. Sitting at the table with her was none other than her best friend, Yagyu Kyuubei. Upon seeing her, Shinpachi became even more nervous. He had not been expecting anyone other than his sister to be at his home. Now there would be at least two more people that would become suspicious. The situation had just become a little worse.

Upon noticing the two, Otae gave them a happy look of surprise. "Shin-chan, Kagura-chan, what brings you two here?"

"Hey boss lady," greeted Kagura as she gave her a happy look in return. "We came here because we were hoping you could answer some questions for us," she explained.

"Questions?" asked Otae, wondering what Kagura had in mind. "What kind of questions?"

"Well, you see," said Kagura, "Gin-chan's been acting weird lately and we were wondering if you might know something about it."

"Gintoki?" asked Kyuubei out of interest. "It's probably nothing. If he's acting weird then it sounds like he's behaving normally," she said casually as if it were the truth.

Otae started to look worried. "Gin-san is acting weird? What's he doing? Is he treating you two ok?"

"No, it's nothing like that," said Shinpachi quickly, waving his hands back and forth. He didn't want his sister to unnecessarily worry about them. "The two of us are fine, it's Gin-san that's the problem," he explained.

"Well, what's wrong with him this time?" asked Kyuubei.

"We think that he might be going out with some girl," said Kagura, revealing her true suspicion.

Upon hearing the news, Otae and Kyuubei both showed extreme expressions of shock. Their eyes widened and their mouths fell open. They couldn't imagine what Kagura had just suggested. They had never heard of such a thing happening before.

Otae tried to gather her thoughts in order to respond to Kagura. "Seriously? G-Gin-san is…is…" she trailed off. She just couldn't believe what Kagura was telling her.

"Gintoki has seduced a woman?" asked Kyuubei, completely misreading the situation.

Shinpachi immediately realized that things were getting out of hand. "Now, wait a minute," he said loudly, hoping to calm them down. "We're not completely sure about this. It's just a theory. We have no idea if he's actually dating someone," he tried to explain.

"Right," said Kagura. "But' it's still our best guess. We came here to ask you two if you would know anything about it."

The two girls managed to calm down enough to listen to what Shinpachi and Kagura were saying. "I don't know anything about Gin-san seeing some girl," Otae answered truthfully.

"Neither do I," said Kyuubei.

"Nor do I," said a mysterious third voice.

The group suddenly started looking around, wondering who had just spoken. It was clear that it was none of those present; it had to have been someone else who was nearby. "Is someone there?" asked Shinpachi, still looking around.

Suddenly, a cupboard door slid open, revealing the owner of the new mystery voice. Out of the cupboard crawled the chief of the Shinsengumi, Kondo. He stood up and looked at all of the shocked and angry faces in front of him. "Um, sorry," he said, "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation."

The group of girls all looked at the new intruder with disgust. They were not happy to see that this man was stalking the dojo once again. Shinpachi, however, appeared to be the most distraught at Kondo's sudden appearance.

"Why are you even here!?" he screamed out of anger. Even though he appeared to be angry with Kondo for stalking his sister again, Shinpachi was actually worried about something else. He was now concerned with his new priority. Another person had just become suspicious of Gintoki's secret, and it made him feel even more nervous. _This is starting to get out of hand…_he thought.

Kondo looked at the group and decided to respond to Shinpachi's question. "Well, you see," he explained, "I was simply spending some time with Otae-chan when I accidently heard you say that your boss is stalking someone."

"No, Gorilla-san," said Kyuubei, "Gintoki is not stalking someone, he is seducing some innocent girl. Not everyone is a stalker like you."

"Actually, Kyu-chan, Gin-san is dating some girl, not seducing her," Otae corrected her.

"_Actually_," interrupted Shinpachi, "We don't know if he's doing _anything _with a girl. This is all just a theory, remember?" He was once again trying to keep things under control. If he could convince the group that nothing was going on, he would be able to keep Gintoki's secret safe.

"Listen," said Kagura, trying to get the group's attention. "I just want to find out if he's going out with somebody. Do you think you guys could help me?"

"Well, I am curious to see what kind of tramp Gin-san has taken interest in," said Otae with a slightly evil smile.

"As am I," agreed Kyuubei.

"Me too! I want to know who he's stalking!" yelled Kondo.

"So you'll help me find out what Gin-chan's up to?" asked Kagura, starting to get excited. The three of them each gave her a nod, confirming that they were in. Kagura smiled and turned to face Shinpachi. "Isn't this great? Look at all the help we have! We'll find out Gin-chan's secret in no time!"

Shinpachi managed to smile as he hid the feeling of dread within him. _This is bad _he thought. _This is really, really bad. I could handle one of them, but now there are four people who are close to discovering Gin-san's secret! What do I do?_

"So now what do we do?" asked Kyuubei.

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Otae with a smile. "We'll go right up to Gin-san and ask him who he is going out with. Simple as that."

"Hold on a minute, boss lady," Kagura interrupted. "Every time I asked Gin-chan about his secret, he wouldn't tell me a thing. I don't think that this time will be any different," she explained.

The group started to look a little dismayed when Kondo spoke up. "Hold on," he said, "Do you really think he'll be able to turn all of us away? If we all confront him at once, he will have no choice but to tell us what's going on. He won't be able to keep quiet if we ask him as a group."

Kagura's face lit up as she gave Kondo a look of confidence. "That might actually work, Gori!" she shouted excitedly.

"Yes, nice thinking Gorilla-san," Otae complemented him.

Kondo blushed upon hearing praise from his crush. "Oh, it was nothing," he said modestly.

"Gin-chan should still be at home," explained Kagura. "Let's go confront him right now!"

"All right, off to Odd Jobs it is!" said Otae. She and Kyuubei got up from the table they were sitting at. The whole group then followed Kagura as she led the way back to her home.

Shinpachi, however, just stood at his home in silence. While the rest of the group had been deciding on their plan of action, Shinpachi was left to keep wondering what he should do to handle it. _Now they're heading straight for Gin-san! What do I do? I can't stop them; they're convinced that he is dating someone! They're already heading out the gate!_

Shinpachi immediately snapped out of his thoughts and ran after the group. He decided that he might as well try and keep an eye on them, even though he couldn't do anything to help at that point.

_I can't stop them _he thought. _I've failed. You better be prepared, Gin-san, because I can't get you out of this situation. I tried to keep your secret safe, but it's spiraled out of control. The situation is in your hands now, whether you know it or not!_

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Gintoki and Tsukuyo were sitting across from each other in a small restaurant. They had just met up a little while earlier and were now having lunch together. It was a nice and simple date that allowed them to enjoy each other's company.<p>

As Tsukuyo was eating, she couldn't help but think about how she felt in her current situation. Surprisingly, she felt perfectly normal. It was almost the exact opposite of the first date she had experienced. She didn't feel nervous or uneasy or anything like that. If anything, she felt comfortable around Gintoki.

_What a long way I've come _she thought to herself. _I used to not be able to look into his eyes, but it doesn't bother me much anymore. I used to feel nervous holding his hand, but now I can do it without a problem. In fact, I really like to do that sort of thing…I guess I've grown sort of attached to this silver-haired idiot _she thought with a smile.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Gintoki, suddenly interrupting Tsukuyo's thoughts. He was staring at her and wondering why she was being so quiet.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Tsukuyo, starting to blush a little as she looked away. She didn't want to let Gintoki know that she had been thinking about him.

Gintoki looked at her with an amused curiosity. "If you're not thinking about anything, then why are you blushing so much?" he asked with a grin.

"I'm not blushing," she insisted, although it was clear she was lying.

Gintoki smiled as he dropped his voice down to a whisper. "You were thinking about something dirty, weren't you?"

"I WAS NOT!" shouted Tsukuyo, looking at Gintoki with anger.

Gintoki had to try hard to keep himself from laughing. "Calm down, it was only a joke," he told her.

"Yeah right," said Tsukuyo, a little upset. Gintoki had recently managed to go the entire last month without pissing Tsukuyo off, but he had just ended that streak with his last comment. "And just when I was starting to think that you had matured too," Tsukuyo scolded him.

Gintoki realized that he might have pushed her a little too far and decided to apologize. "I'm sorry, it was just a little joke."

Tsukuyo couldn't help but give a small look of surprise upon hearing that. _Did he really just apologize for saying something stupid? That's never happened before. Maybe he actually has grown up a little bit._

"It's ok," said Tsukuyo. "I realize that you were only trying to be funny in your own stupid way."

Gintoki surprisingly laughed a little upon hearing that. "Well, it looks like you're finally beginning to understand me," he said somewhat jokingly.

Tsukuyo laughed a little in return and then silence fell between the two. Tsukuyo looked away for a second as she thought about something.

"Gintoki," she said, "can I tell you something?"

"Of course," he said, "you can tell me anything."

"Well, I was thinking," she said with a pause. "I…I think I might be ready to tell some people that I'm going out with you," she revealed.

Gintoki gave her a look of complete surprise. "Really?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," said Tsukuyo as she looked down at the table. "I think I should stop keeping it a secret from the people that are close to me. We've been going out for a while now. I think I'm ready to let people know the truth." She paused as she slowly looked up from the table to face Gintoki. "What do you think?" she asked him.

Gintoki gave her a look of confidence. "I think that it sounds great," he said with a smile.

"Really?" asked Tsukuyo, a little surprised that he had agreed with her.

"Of course," replied Gintoki, "If you're ready to tell your friends, then go right ahead. I don't want to hold you back."

Tsukuyo gave him a smile to show her appreciation. "I'm glad you said that. If you're ok with it, I think I'm going to tell Seita and the Hyakka sometime soon. Honestly, I think that they might have started to notice that I'm hiding something from all of them. It will feel good to finally let them know the truth. I think that they'll be happy to hear it too. At least, I hope so anyway."

Gintoki was still smiling, but he suddenly had a serious expression on his face. "That sounds fine," he said, "but do you mind if I ask you a favor?"

Tsukuyo gave him a weird look. "What is it?" she asked slowly, wondering what he had on his mind.

"Look, it is fine if you want to tell all of your friends about us," he said sincerely. "But, I would like to ask that you please continue to keep it a secret from all of my friends."

Tsukuyo looked at him with confusion. "Um, ok," she said, trying to follow along. "Who exactly do you not want me to tell?"

"Oh, you know," said Gintoki as he slowly looked away. "Just Kagura, Gran, and everyone who lives on the surface," he said simply.

"…That's a lot of people," replied Tsukuyo.

"Look, can you please just keep it a secret from them? Please?"

"I don't understand," said Tsukuyo, still a little confused. "You don't want to let anyone know that we're going out?"

"Well, not really, no," he answered.

"Why not?"

"Look, I just don't want them to find out just yet," he tried to explain. "I mean, you know who they are; they're animals. They'll freak out the moment they find out about us."

"You said that Shinpachi didn't when you told him," she pointed out.

"Yeah, well he's actually a nice kid with a normal brain. The rest of them are all idiots who will tear me to shreds if they hear anything about this."

Tsukuyo looked at Gintoki with disapproval. "So, you're just not going to tell them?"

"Not anytime soon," he replied.

"Hmmph," said Tsukuyo as she sat back and crossed her arms. "You're really reluctant to tell people that you're going out with me. It makes me wonder if you even care about me."

"That's not true!" said Gintoki, trying to defend himself. "You know I care about you. It's everyone else that I'm worried about. Besides, you've been keeping it a secret up until now too. It's not like I'm the only one guilty here."

Tsukuyo let out a small sigh as she realized that he was right. "Fine, I see your point," she said. "I'll respect your wishes for the time being. I won't tell any of your friends about us, but you have to promise that you will do it soon, ok?"

"I will," he promised. "I just need some time before I'm ready, you know?"

"I understand," she said. "I just hope that you don't put this off for too long. The longer you keep it a secret from them, the more upset that they will be when they finally find out the truth."

"I know," said Gintoki, clearly not looking forward to the situation. "Maybe if I'm lucky it won't come to any bloodshed," he said sarcastically.

* * *

><p>A short while later, the couple was saying goodbye to each other outside the restaurant. They were about to go off in different directions.<p>

"I'm heading off to take care of a job this afternoon," said Gintoki. "I wish Shinpachi and Kagura were going to help me, but I guess they decided to take the day off. Honestly, if they're just going to goof off the whole time while I work, I should just fire them."

"Come on," said Tsukuyo with a laugh. "We both know that you're not going to do that. Your heart is too big," she teased him.

"What are you talking about? You don't know anything about me," he said, slightly blushing. "Just watch, I'm going to go fire them right now. It will probably save me a lot of trouble in the end anyway."

Tsukuyo couldn't help but softly laugh at him. "You're such a fool," she told him.

"Whatever" he replied, slightly smiling at Tsukuyo's laugh. "I need to get going."

"Well alright, have a good day at work," she told him. "I'll see you again later, ok?"

"Yeah, I'll give you a call sometime," he said. He gave her small kiss goodbye and then started walking away.

Tsukuyo turned away and began walking back to her house. As she walked, she started thinking about the conversation that she had just had with Gintoki a little while ago. She felt a little disappointed that he wanted to keep the relationship a secret so badly, but there was nothing she could do about it.

_If he isn't ready yet, then I guess that there's no helping it_ she thought to herself._ Just because I feel ready now doesn't mean that he does too. But he'll tell them soon enough. He probably just needs a little bit of time…_

Unfortunately, it would seem like time was something that Gintoki was slowly running out of. The worst part, was that he didn't even know it yet…

* * *

><p><strong>Author: Let's do something that we've never done before. I'm going to have two characters in this segment at once! After all, what's the worst that could happen? Let's all welcome Otae and Kyuubei!<strong>

**Otae: Nice to meet you, Author-san. We're happy to be a part of the story.**

**Kyuubei: What are we even doing here anyway?**

**Author: Hold on a minute, Kyuubei. Otose used the "why am I here" argument in the last segment. We can't do that again; you'll have to say something else.**

**Kyuubei: …I don't get it…**

**Otae: What exactly do you want us to say, Author-san?**

**Author: I don't know. Just say something stupid that will make the reader laugh.**

**Otae: You mean like insult the story?**

**Author: Actually, I think I've overkilled that joke long ago. Besides, it's probably best to not talk negatively about the story, don't you think?**

**Kyuubei: But there are so many problems with it though…**

**Otae: Yeah, some changes could definitely be made.**

**Author: What? Were you not listening? We can't do this sort of thing again! The readers are probably sick of this!**

**Otae: First things first, we definitely need to take out the Gorilla.**

**Kyuubei: Yes, stop wasting words on his character.**

**Author: Kondo? What did he do wrong!? (Other than stalk you, of course)**

**Otae: I also think that Kyu-chan and I need more screen time. We might need to remove more characters.**

**Kyuubei: Let's take out Tsukuyo. After all, she and Gintoki took up half the chapter.**

**Author: No Tsukuyo in a Gintoki x Tsukuyo story!? Are you insane!?**

**Otae: Don't worry; Gin-san can be taken out too. That should fix the problem, right?**

**Kyuubei: Yes, then the story will just be about the 'x'. Plain and simple.**

**Author: X? X isn't even a character! Who the hell is X supposed to be!?**

**Kyuubei: X is the main character of "Xtama".**

**Otae: He works for Odd Jobs X with his friends Y and Z.**

**Author: What are we even talking about anymore? Are we even talking about Silver Moon!?**

**Kyuubei: …Silver Moon?**

**Otae: …Is that supposed to be the title of the story?**

**Author: It IS the title of the story, thank you very much.**

**Kyuubei: …But the moon isn't even silver…**

**Author: …That's it! I'm done! I can't deal with you two any longer! I'll see you all next chapter!**


End file.
